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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24887290">Kingdom of Cards</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwakeAndAliveSpartan/pseuds/AwakeAndAliveSpartan'>AwakeAndAliveSpartan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Divergent, F/M, Hellfire! Ward, Not Coulson Friendly, Not Simmons Friendly, Pregnancy, S3 AU, Slow Burn, not really - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:54:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>72,693</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24887290</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwakeAndAliveSpartan/pseuds/AwakeAndAliveSpartan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Daisy found that she couldn't let old feelings die. </p><p>She also found that acting on said feelings once was just all it took and she would soon have to choose between an old flame and the team she called family.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Skye | Daisy Johnson/Grant Ward</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>204</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>265</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Written on My Skin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The beginning.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(A Few Weeks Ago)</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We really shouldn’t be doing this, Ward, we-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Daisy was cut off as a gasp escaped her lips, feeling Grant’s rough fingers toy with the skin of her waist. They weren’t supposed to be doing this. He was her enemy. He was Hydra. But, she still let him get underneath her skin.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What was that?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She strained to look up at his lust-darkened eyes, “We’re enemies, Ward. We shouldn’t be doing this.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He chuckled and kissed her collarbone, “That doesn’t seem to bother you.” His voice was low and husky. “And I thought that you said this wasn’t love.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s not.” she growled, tensing up as his hands fumbled with her shirt. “This is a one-time thing.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Keep telling yourself that, Skye.” He pulled her top off and threw it aside. “You wouldn’t be doing this if you didn’t enjoy it.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I hate you.” she growled through clenched teeth as Grant’s fingers found the bottom of her breasts. His fingers were so warm. Never in a million years would’ve she thought that Grant Ward would be an Inhuman too. Maybe they were really meant to be a pair. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I know.” Grant unclasped her bra and threw it aside, his eyes darkening as his gaze settled onto her breasts. “God, you’re beautiful. I’m glad you weren’t in that ridiculous suit. Even if it is a nice sight.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re disgusting. You-” Daisy bit back a scream as his hand went into her pants. Oh, God, he was </span>
  </em>
  <span>good</span>
  <em>
    <span>. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. She was supposed to hate him, but she melted underneath his gaze. He was Hydra. She was supposed to be bringing him in, not being fucked by him in a closet. Their eyes had met and she suddenly found herself in a closet, her lips on his.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>His lips met hers once more, “Shh, you’ll ruin the moment, Skye.” he muttered, his breaths low and ragged. “Remember? This isn’t love. It’s just… Acting on old feelings.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Daisy growled into his mouth, reaching for his belt, “You have 15 minutes, Ward.” she hissed. “Better for SHIELD to find me alone than to find me with you all over me. That'll be hell to explain.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s more than enough time, but don’t rush it.” His fingers went to her pants, pushing them down just enough. “It doesn’t have to be long to be enough, Skye.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Daisy…” she corrected, hissing as Grant’s finger grazed her breast again. “It’s Daisy.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Sorry… Daisy.” She could feel his smirk against her skin. “Fifteen minutes and I’ll be long gone. I’ll leave some of my men behind as a… Prize. I’m sure that Coulson’ll appreciate that.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re sick.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I know I am.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Daisy’s mind went numb soon after that. She wasn’t supposed to be doing this. She couldn’t even begin to imagine the trouble she would be in if someone caught her. She would be stripped of her rank. Or worse.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Old feelings die hard, she supposed. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>(Present Day)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy slunk to the floor of the bathroom, a hand to her mouth to suppress a sob as she stared at those two offending lines. It honestly hadn’t crossed her mind when she started to feel bad a week ago, throwing up every now and then. Then she realized her cycle was all out of wack and her mind went back to that day in the Hydra base closet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her face twisted up and she took the test and the box and stuffed it at the bottom of the trashcan, covering it up so, hopefully, no one would see it. That was the last thing she needed right now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Way to go, Daisy.” she muttered. “What the hell am I going to tell the others? ‘Yeah, you know that day I was supposed to capture Ward? I actually fucked him in a closet. And guess what? I’m carrying his child!’.” She let out a dark laugh, “That’ll go over </span>
  <em>
    <span>real </span>
  </em>
  <span>well. They’ll see the child of the Hydra director as hellspawn. Ward’s that much of a demon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wiping the tears from her eyes, she pulled herself to her feet and walked over to the mirror. She held up her shirt to look at her still-flat stomach. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“There’s really someone in there.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Probably a mini Ward. That’s scary. What am I supposed to tell them? No one’s going to accept me after this. Maybe Fitz. Maybe Mack. Coulson? No. Simmons? Hell no. They’ll probably want me to get rid of it. And I don’t even know what I want to do yet.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy sighed and let her shirt drop. She counted on her fingers. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“That was five weeks ago. I can hide it for a while. I probably won’t start showing for a couple more weeks. Depending on the… The baby.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The word hung heavy in her mind. It was hard to wrap her head around. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“But, I don’t know how I’ll hide it when it gets bigger.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy looked down and placed a hand on her stomach, “You’re already causing me trouble, little dude.” she muttered. “You’re gonna be my little secret for a while. Don’t let anyone know that you’re here. You’re double trouble. Your father’s a head of Hydra and an Inhuman.” Her stomach flipped, realizing the implications of that. The baby was more than likely a hundred percent Inhuman. Something they hadn’t dealt with yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No one’s to know about you yet.” she said quietly. “Not even Ward. Not until…” She shook her head, “Not until I know of what to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Checking herself one last time in the mirror, making sure that her eyes weren’t too red, she left the bathroom. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t know who I could confide in about this.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Maybe May. She would just be disappointed. Fitz maybe. Maybe Mack. Everyone else is off-limits. Coulson will be pissed. Simmons would hate my guts. Lincoln would hate the baby just because it’s Inhuman.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She felt sick, bile starting to churn in her stomach again. She bit it back, not wanting to vomit. Again. She-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daisy, are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped, looking up to see Fitz coming up to her. She feigned a smile towards the engineer. “I’m fine. Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Simmons said that you weren’t feeling well. She wanted me to come find you. She wants to know if you want her to run tests.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” she shook her head a little too forcefully. “I think I just have a stomach bug or something, Fitz. I appreciate the offer, though.” Daisy knew that Simmons would perform blood tests. She didn’t need Simmons finding out that way. Simmons was too smart. She would connect it back to that mission. “I’m going to go find something to eat, that’s all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz looked worried. He knew that Daisy was hiding something, but he didn’t want to pressure her. “Okay, but please go see Jemma if you start to feel bad again.” he stated. “I don’t want you getting sick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy really appreciated Fitz. He truly wanted to look after her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there anything you want me to tell her, though?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No, other than that I’m carrying the child of the man that tried to kill the two of you.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She smiled, “Just tell her that I’m feeling better.” she lied. “I’ll be fine in a few days.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Or months.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I trust him, but not his mouth. He’ll let something slip to Simmons sooner or later.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz frowned, “Well, if you say so, Daisy. I’m not going to force you to do anything.” he replied. He noted how weak Daisy looked. Little did he know she had been puking her guts up all morning. “Just please, don’t push yourself if you’re sick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She feigned another smile, “Fitz, I assure you that I’m okay. It’s just a stomach bug.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” He turned around and walked off without another word, not sure of what else to say to Daisy. Something was wrong and she was keeping something from him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy brought a hand to her stomach once Fitz was gone. “Yeah, it’s one hell of a stomach bug.” she muttered. “But… I don’t think that anyone can know just yet. I… I don’t even know of what I want to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that was the truth. Daisy didn’t know what she wanted to do. On one hand, she was scared. There were so many unknowns to her situation. The baby’s father was a Hydra head. The baby was also completely Inhuman. Half the team would absolutely hate the baby upon finding out the father. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, on the other hand, Daisy longed for something normal. Something that resembled a normal family due to a lack of a childhood. Would a baby bring that to her? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, probably not. Not when the baby’s father was Hydra and both parents were powerful Inhumans. That wasn’t the definition of a normal family. It would never be the definition of a normal family.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No matter what Daisy chose to do, she knew that there would be hell to come</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But one thing was for sure:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No one could know about the baby. Not even its own father.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, this is just a little something to help balance myself out with the Rewrite! AU. Grant won't be present for several chapters, just letting you know. I hope that you enjoy! Please leave a comment or a kudos!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Crowded Streets all Cleared Away</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Daisy begins to think about the baby and the future.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Two Days Later)</span>
  <span></span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling as she allowed thoughts to overcome her. She had been holed up in her room since the other day, not really wanting to go around others. She knew that she was worrying them, but she just didn’t want to face them right now. She feared how they would react to her. She knew that they just wouldn’t fully embrace her and accept her and the baby. And that’s what truly scared her. She didn’t want to lose her family just like that. But, she didn’t want them to dictate what she did with her own life either. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned her gaze to her flat stomach, hating that she would be huge in a matter of months. Especially considering that Grant Douglas Ward was the father. The man was well over six feet tall. Daisy was terrified of the prospect of the baby being a boy because it would likely take after Grant. He was a behemoth with Mack being the only agent who was bigger than him. She dreaded to know what his spawn would look like.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, truly, that wasn’t her main concern right now. She still didn’t know who she could tell. Fitz could be her best bet. Maybe May. But, she knew that Coulson and Simmons were off-limits. Even Lincoln, considering the man was anti-Inhuman and she was more than likely carrying a child that was fully Inhuman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Could she hide it? No, that would be impossible. She knew that she would start showing sooner or later. And since it was Grant Ward’s child, she knew that she would probably be huge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, could she get rid of it? No, she didn’t think she could do that. The prospect of having a child tugged on her longing for a proper family. SHIELD used to be her family, but as of late it didn’t feel like that anymore. But, how could it be a proper family when the father was a Hydra head and both parents were Inhuman? She could never have a proper, normal family. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Especially if the people she thought were her friends hated her unborn child.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And how would Grant react to finding out that he was to be a father? Daisy wasn’t sure of how he would react since his childhood had been so bad and he wasn’t exactly the sanest person. She feared that his reaction would be overblown. That day hadn’t been out of love. It had been rough, angry sex. Nothing more, nothing less. It was a result of old feelings catching up to the both of them. She didn’t love him and she wasn’t sure of how he felt towards her. She didn’t want to throw a baby onto him. She didn’t want to give him more reasons to hate her. That was the last thing that she needed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a sigh, she lifted up her shirt and looked down to her stomach, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I can’t believe that there’s really someone in there.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought, placing a gentle hand onto her stomach. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m sorry I’ve got you caught up in something, little dude. You can’t help that your father’s a Hydra jackass. You can’t help that the others will probably hate you.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She frowned, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t know why I keep calling you ‘Little Dude’. I’m scared of you being a boy because you’ll probably take after your father and I don’t want to give birth to a freaking giant. But, it feels right. I don’t know why. Maybe they really are right when they say that mother knows best.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She let out a soft laugh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Can I raise a boy? Especially if he takes after his father? Guess I’m gonna have my hands full for the next 18 or so years. Guess I can say that he’ll probably be a looker. God, I gotta start thinking about names. And what if it’s more than one baby? I can’t raise multiple kids. One’s enough.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She focused on her stomach, letting out a small gasp as she could feel the smallest of vibrations there. It wasn’t strong, but it was still there. A smile pulled at her lips, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You really are there. I guess I just didn’t know what I was looking for. I thought I was just sick. But there’s really someone in there.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A part of her was thrilled to be a mother. She wanted to give her unborn child the best childhood possible, considering she didn’t have one at all. But, she feared how she would do it. If she didn’t have the support of the others, she couldn’t go off all on her own. She didn’t want to let Grant back into her life and she wasn’t sure of what kind of father he would be. It was better for her kid to have no father at all rather than a bad one. She would-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A knock at her door pulled her out of her thoughts. She sat up, covering her stomach up. “Who is it?” she called.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s Coulson. I just wanted to check on you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A frown settled onto Daisy’s face. She would have to lie big time. “It’s unlocked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door swung open and Coulson stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him. He locked eyes with Daisy and smiled, “Simmons said that you weren’t feeling too well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy feigned a smile, just like she had done with Fitz the other day, “Yeah, I think it’s just a stomach bug or something.” she lied. “Been throwing up a lot. But, I think it stopped last night. I’ve been fine today.” Another lie. She had emptied her stomach this morning. Morning sickness was really starting to be a bitch to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Simmons said that you won’t let her run any tests.” Coulson stated, crossing his arms. “You refused any kind of treatment. Daisy, I don’t like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Well, that’s because I won’t be better for at least seven more months. Not until the baby is born. Why can’t things just be normal? I just… I just want a normal family for once. But, I don’t want Simmons to be the one that finds out first.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought. She smiled again, “I told Simmons that she was worrying too much. I just ate something bad, I guess. Must’ve been that sushi earlier this week.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson rolled his eyes, “That’s the last time I let Hunter get us dinner.” he said. “But, even if you are feeling better, please don’t ignore yourself if you start getting sick again. You do know that you need to be in the best health on missions, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah, it’s not like I’m carrying the child of your worst enemy or anything. Still, what am I supposed to say? ‘Surprise, Coulson! I fucked Ward in a closet and now I’m carrying his spawn!’. He’d kill me.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I know.” Daisy waived a dismissive hand. “I’m going to try and train some tomorrow. I’ve kind of been out of it due to the bug. I really need to get back into the groove of things. Especially if Ward does come back around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, don’t push yourself. Try to take it easy. I don’t want you getting hurt and then being out of commission.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy smiled, “Thanks, DC.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson smiled back and nodded, turning around and leaving the room. Daisy’s frown quickly returned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I know that you care for me, Coulson. But you hate Ward way more. What are you going to think of me when you find out the truth? I can’t hide it forever unless I run, but I can’t do that. I have nowhere to go. I could run to Afterlife, but it’s still in shambles. Especially since my mother is dead. Ward would be the last place that I run to. I can’t run to him unless shit does hit the fan. I can’t hide the baby forever. But, I know that things aren’t going to go well. Not at all. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I… I feel like I’ve already torn this team apart and I haven’t even told anyone yet.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so I'll really be ramping up the story in the next chapter. I'm not wasting any time jumping right into the drama. The next chapter will definitely be darker. Any guesses of what's to come? And thanks for all the reception with the first chapter! Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Don't Think that I'll Forget</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Daisy's worst fears come to life.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Three Days Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy played out an even rhythm on the punching bag in front of her, trying to take her mind off of things. Now, she knew that it probably wasn’t the best thing for her to be training, but she couldn’t totally cut herself off from things when no one knew about her pregnancy. As long as she kept it slow, she figured that she would be okay. Well, she assumed she would.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re holding back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy stopped and turned to look at May, who had agreed to watch her since she had just recovered from being “sick”. “What do you mean?” she asked. “You know that I was just sick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May frowned, “You’re holding back intentionally, Daisy.” she stated. “It’s not because you were just sick. You seem scared of your movements. What’s wrong?” She crossed her arms, “And don’t lie to me. Something’s off about you and I don’t like it. I can tell that something’s wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been feeling lightheaded.” Daisy answered, staring at the punching bag. Now, that wasn’t a lie. She had been feeling lightheaded. Maybe it still was the morning sickness playing with her. But, she swore that she felt well enough to train.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then take a breather, Daisy.” May stated. “If you still feel bad, then you shouldn’t be in here. I know that you’re worried about another mission sooner or later, but you don’t need to hurt yourself before that can happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy started back on the punching bag, “I’ll be fine, May.” she lied. “You don’t have to worry about me.” She swallowed as she kept punching, ignoring the skeptical look from May, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“She can’t know just yet. I can’t tell her why I actually feel bad. It’s my little secret for now, little dude.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>May frowned as she studied Daisy. The agent had been acting strange for the past week. She carried herself differently and was actively avoiding everyone else. May wasn’t sure of why Daisy would be acting like this. But, she would get her answer soon enough. Just not in the way she thought she would.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy stepped back from the punching bag, a sudden wave of vertigo overcoming her. She took a sharp breath to steady herself, bile starting to rise in her throat. May reached for her, noticing that she was starting to sway on her feet. The color had drained from the woman’s face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daisy, you need to sit down or stop altogether . You’re clearly not feeling well. You’re pale and you look like you’re about to vomit.” May ordered, taking another step towards the agent. “You-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine!” Daisy snapped, glaring at the older agent. Her stomach started to churn even heavier in her stomach. “I swear that I’m fine. I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bile suddenly rose and she doubled over, emptying the contents of her stomach all over the gym floor. May jumped back in alarm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I swear I am…” Daisy felt really lightheaded. “I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes suddenly rolled into the back of her head and she fell to the ground, right next to the puddle of vomit. May’s eyes widened and she jolted forward, kneeling next to the young woman. Luckily, she found that Daisy had just fainted and was unconscious. But, she didn’t want to waste any chances. Especially now that she had begun to suspect what was wrong. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a sharp breath, May carefully took Daisy into her arms and stood up. She made a beeline for Simmons and the infirmary, knowing that she wasn’t going to like the truth behind what was wrong with Daisy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wouldn’t like it at all.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>(Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy awoke with a groan, seeing Simmons hovering over her. “Simmons?” she asked, pulling herself up. “What happened?” She looked around the med bay room, seeing that she and Simmons were the only ones in the room. Even Morse was nowhere to be seen, which was a relief for Daisy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The biochemist had a strange look on her face as she looked at Daisy, a stack of papers held in her hands. “You vomited and fainted in the gym. May brought you in here. You’ve only been asleep for not even two hours.” she explained. “May’s now talking with Coulson regarding your particular </span>
  <em>
    <span>situation</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s stomach dropped. “W-What do you mean?” she stammered, even if she knew the truth to what Simmons meant. Simmons glared at her, handing her a paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose that congratulations are in order, but I’m not sure if that’s the correct term I should use.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy stared down at the paper, it all looked like gibberish to her. Blood test results. Simmons had tested her blood while she was unconscious. She must’ve fainted after throwing up. Well, it looked like that training was out of the question now. There was so much that she didn’t know about pregnancy. And this was definitely not how she wanted to find things out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re pregnant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simmons’ face blanched, “You know?” she asked, pure disappointment in her eyes. “For how long?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Six days. I didn’t want to tell anyone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I see why. Coulson has his suspicions. Considering I don’t even think you’re two months along and you haven’t been out of our sights since that one mission.” There was unbridled hatred in the scientist’s eyes and Daisy wasn’t sure of how they had figured things out. But, she had disappeared during the mission to retrieve Grant. She guessed that Coulson had put two and two together. Coulson was a lot smarter than what she credited him for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy frowned, “What the hell do you mean?” she asked, lying through her teeth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simmons sneered at her, “You disappear on our mission to capture Ward, who happens to also be Inhuman. And five weeks later you’re pregnant with a child who’s fully Inhuman.” She looked down at her papers, avoiding Daisy’s gaze. “I’ve run the tests. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who the father is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you insinuating about me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simmons crumpled up her papers, “You really went behind our backs and had </span>
  <em>
    <span>sex </span>
  </em>
  <span>with the very man who tried to kill all of us at some point or another!” she screamed, looking dead in Daisy’s eyes. Daisy felt her heart break. She knew that this would happen, but it still hurt. She knew that she had just lost one of her closest friends.“Didn’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy knew that she couldn’t lie. She had been found out long before she thought she would. It hadn’t even been a week since she found out that she was pregnant. “Yes, I fucked Ward. What else do you want me to say?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy almost laughed, not sure of what to say. “What? Old emotions caught up to the both of us when I ran into him. Next thing I knew, he had me up against the wall in a closet.” she explained, tears burning behind her eyes. “There was no love in it. It meant absolutely nothing, Simmons. I don’t love him. And I never will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yet it was enough for you to become pregnant with his hellspawn.” Simmons sniffed and turned away from Daisy. She was glad that no one else was in the room to see this. Not even Fitz. “I don’t know what’s worse. The fact that it’s the spawn of Grant Ward or it’s fully Inhuman, something we haven’t dealt with before. I think the best thing you could do is to get rid of it before it has the chance to hurt anyone, Daisy. You know what its father has done. You don’t want to give it the chance to become </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That caused Daisy to shoot to her feet, the ground rumbling beneath them. “Just because Ward’s the father doesn’t mean they’re going to be born evil!” she screamed, fury shining in her eyes. “I’m the mother, Simmons. I’m keeping the child. And I’ll raise the best damn kid possible!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simmons wrinkled her nose in disgust, “The fact that you chose it over common sense is astounding. You’re not thinking here, Daisy. Coulson’s upset. I’m upset. We’re all upset.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am </span>
  </em>
  <span>thinking, Simmons. I knew that you wouldn’t like the fact that I’m the mother of Ward’s child, but I didn’t think that you would act like </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Daisy hissed, beginning to walk past Simmons. “I don’t care if you’re upset or not. It’s my child. This conversation is over, Simmons.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daisy, you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ground trembled again, “Shut the hell up!” Daisy snapped, stopping and spinning around to glare at the scientist. “This is over, Simmons. I’m not going to keep acting like you’re my friend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simmons mouth fell open, “You’re choosing his hellspawn over me?” she asked, her voice filled with pure anger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That ‘hellspawn’ is my child, Simmons. Do you hear yourself?” Daisy turned back around. “Like I said, this is over. Do not talk to me again unless you have something good to say. And of course I’m going to choose my own child over such a fragile friendship.” She took a sharp breath and stood her ground, staring Simmons down with red and tear-filled eyes, “Simmons, you don’t know that they’ll be like their father.” she stated as firmly as she could. “Ward turned out the way he did because his brother beat the shit out of him and had a mentor from hell. My child is going to have none of that. At all. And if you keep this shit up, I want you to </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>touch me or my child.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simmons gave her an incredulous look, not believing that she was choosing the child over her, “Like I said, Daisy, it’s best that you deal with it now before it’s too late.” she repeated. “And Coulson’s going to tell you the same exact thing. The fact that you even allowed that monster to touch you is proof enough that you still have feelings for him.” She started to leave the lab, giving Daisy yet another seething look, “Why don’t you just run back to him so you can fuck him again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simmons left Daisy standing there speechless, fury settling deep within her bones. She needed an outlet. She needed to let all of her power out. But, she knew that it would be a risk with the baby since she still tended to internalize a lot of her power. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I can’t believe that Simmons is still letting hatred dictate her feelings.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Daisy thought, storming out of the lab. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s a baby, not a demon. I’m not going to let them become Ward. I won’t give them the chance. But, they’ll end up like him if this keeps up. May seemed worried about me back in the gym. Hopefully, she’ll have enough sense. Coulson sounds like he’s right up there with Simmons. Morse will probably be the same exact way. No, Coulson will be worse. He hates Ward the most. He’ll transmit his hatred of Ward onto me and the baby. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>At this rate, I… I don’t know if it’s worth staying here. Even if only half of the team hates me for the baby, it isn’t worth living in fear. Simmons wants it gone. Coulson probably does too. And I wouldn’t put it past Simmons to do something in my sleep.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Daisy clenched her fists at her sides as she continued back to her room, hoping that she could get back there before Coulson hunted her down. She was still holding back tears, her eyes burning in response. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I could go in my van, drive far away. But… I can’t raise a baby all on my own. If I leave, I’ll become SHIELD’s enemy.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll just have to suck it up for now and hope that my fears don’t come true.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, I really did jump into things here. I don't want to waste any time getting into the meat of the story, especially since I want to get to Grant soon enough. Any guesses of what's to come? (And please leave a comment! I wanna know if I'm going on the right track here or not.) Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Sever These Fraying Ties</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It just gets worse for Daisy.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(That Night)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daisy, I don’t understand why you thought that it would be a good idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy shrunk down in her seat, Coulson practically towering over her with disappointment etched into his face. She wanted to avoid this, but found that she couldn’t. Coulson had come for her soon after she had tried to hide away in her room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I assigned you for that mission because you’re Inhuman.” Coulson continued, not giving Daisy a chance to speak. “Ward’s a documented Inhuman. I wanted to fight fire with fire and you’re our only capable Inhuman agent. Yes, I thought that he might get the upper hand and would maybe run, but nothing like this. You went behind our backs and slept with the man that I sent you to capture.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It really wasn’t sleeping. It was, uh, a one off thing in a closet.” Daisy stated, knowing that it didn’t help her case. At all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose, “I don’t care how it happened, Daisy. Please spare me the details. But, you still went behind us and did what you did with Ward.” he stated coldly. “You do realize the implications of this, right? You chose old feelings over the mission. The mission should be more important to you, but it wasn’t. And look where you are now. Pregnant with Grant Ward’s child. Out of commission for the next 7 or so months. Tell me why I shouldn’t consider this a treasonous action and reprimand you for what you did?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coulson, look, it just happened. I swear. I don’t love him and I never will again.” Daisy replied, trying to keep her calm. "It’s not like I planned on screwing him. It just happened."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson gave her a heavy, disproving look, "Well, even if it </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn't </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ward’s offspring, there's still the matter of it being fully Inhuman. Simmons tested and as far as our tests can tell, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>a hundred percent Inhuman. That's something we haven't dealt with before. A full Inhuman who has Grant Ward’s genes? Daisy, that's dangerous. Nature versus nurture aside, that child is wired to be a potential danger." He frowned and pursed his lips, "And what if Ward finds out and he fights tooth and nail to take the child from you? If a full Inhuman falls into Hydra’s hands, one that they can manipulate from birth, that's bad news, Daisy."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy's face twitched; it felt as though the chair was swallowing her up. "So, what are you proposing that I do?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson stared at her, "Your best option here is to get rid of it and act like this never happened." he stated coldly. "Before it has the chance to cause trouble." He sat back down and steepled his fingers together, "I can't let this slide if this continues."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s stomach did a flip. "Do I have a choice in this?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If you want things to go smoothly for you, then no." He frowned, "I don't feel comfortable with Grant Ward's spawn being here."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're scared of them, aren't you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s face fell, “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy straightened up in the chair, staring straight at Coulson, “You’re scared of my child, Coulson.” she repeated. “You’re outright </span>
  <em>
    <span>terrified </span>
  </em>
  <span>of them. Don’t give me the ‘it’s a danger’ excuse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daisy, you don’t understand that </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>potential.” Coulson protested, a slight growl to his voice. “For starters, half of its genes are from Grant fucking Ward. Then you have the fact that it’s Inhuman. It-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, are you scared of me, too?” Daisy cut in, a stone cold look on her face. “You think I’m dangerous?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s face faltered, “That’s not what I’m saying, Daisy.” he shot back, losing his composure. “I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy shot to her feet, a slight tremble rocking the ground beneath them, “You’re saying they’re dangerous partly due to the fact that they’re Inhuman!” she screamed. “I know Ward being the father presents a challenge, but don’t call them dangerous just because they’re Inhuman.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s face darkened, but he didn’t move, “That </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing </span>
  </em>
  <span>is dangerous because it’s fully Inhuman. We have not dealt with someone like that. You are still half-human, Daisy. You still have humanity in you. I’m just saying that a child who is both fully Inhuman and shares genes with Grant Ward is a problem and we need to deal with it before it’s too late.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-” Daisy was practically fuming at this point. She was starting to prefer Grant over Coulson. Coulson had always expressed </span>
  <em>
    <span>some </span>
  </em>
  <span>fear of Inhumans, but it was starting to morph into full-blown bigotry at this point. “First of all, my child is not a thing.” she hissed. “Secondly, I’m the mother and I should have full say in what I do with them. I am keeping this child. I will raise them to be better than Ward ever was. Just because they have a shitty father doesn’t mean they’ll turn out the same way.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The director remained silent for a bit, mulling over his options. He believed that, in good faith, he couldn’t let her child be. There were just too many unknown variables and didn’t want it to become a monster or to fall into Hydra hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daisy, you don’t understand. You chose him over the mission once you let him drag you into that closet.” Coulson stated, rising to his feet. “In that moment, you betrayed us. You chose him over us. You broke the rules. Don’t expect that this won’t go without punishment, Daisy. I want the best for you, I don’t want you getting involved with him all over again. It just isn’t going to end well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then take away my agent privileges or something, Coulson. What does my unborn child have to do with this? I made my decision. I’m keeping the child. You may be my boss, but that doesn’t mean you can dictate what I do with my own flesh and blood. And, truly….” She took a breath and dug her badge out of her jacket and threw it on Coulson’s desk, “Take this. I won’t be needing this anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson stared down at the badge, remaining silent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll stay here for the time being until I figure out what to do, but I am not your agent anymore.” she hissed. “I cannot keep taking orders from an asshole like you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked back up at her, fury brewing in his eyes, “So, you’re choosing </span>
  <em>
    <span>him </span>
  </em>
  <span>over all of us? After everything we’ve been through? After everything that I’ve done for you?” A snarl started to pull at his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s lips twitched, “I am not choosing him, Coulson. This is about me and my child. Ward is not in the picture. And he never will be.” she stated coldly. “This is about you acting like a total fucking nutjob.” She turned around, her back to him, “I quit, Coulson. I hoped that you would have more sense in you than Simmons did, but it looks like I was wrong.” There was a tremble to her voice, “And you know what? You could’ve been the granddad, Coulson. Because you </span>
  <em>
    <span>were </span>
  </em>
  <span>the closest thing I ever had to a father. And you just ruined it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daisy, you-” Coulson slammed his robotic fist down onto her badge, shattering it into pieces, “You leave this base and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>consider it going AWOL. I will consider it as treason.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then do that, I don’t fucking care.” she growled, keeping her back to him. “I think the safety of my child is more important than my loyalty. And I’d rather not be somewhere where my own child could be considered a science experiment. I’m sure that Simmons and probably Morse will be more than glad to do something like that. They’re definitely sick enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stormed out of the room, tears escaping from her eyes. She didn’t bother with waiting for Coulson’s response. Truly, she didn’t think there could be anything worse than Grant’s betrayal, but this definitely stung about a hundred times worse. Honestly, she thought she would much prefer his company to anyone here at SHIELD. She hadn’t seen Fitz yet, so she wasn’t sure of what he thought. Mack was the same. But, Coulson and Simmons were against her. Morse and Hunter were definitely as well. They hated Grant that much. But, May was an unknown. She hoped that the woman had more sympathy in her than Coulson did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy couldn’t believe that Coulson would want her to get rid of her own child, especially after she had begun to accept them. She could feel her powers buzzing to get out, but she couldn’t do that. She didn’t want to condemn a whole base full of people due to the actions of a select few. She just wanted her child to live and not suffer just because their father happened to be a monster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, she knew one thing for certain, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t stay here. It wasn’t safe. This wasn’t her home anymore.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, Daisy finds out that Coulson's just like Simmons. I will say, though, there's probably only one chapter left at the SHIELD base before Daisy leaves. And it's gonna involve Fitz. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. I'm a Believer of Nobody</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Daisy decides to leave.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(The Next Day)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy had her back to the door, being too busy packing up her things to really be paying attention to her surroundings. She had decided that morning that she was leaving. She really didn’t know to where she would go, but anywhere was better than here. Especially after the way Coulson had acted the day before. There was no way that she would be safe being here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her thoughts occupied her as the door came open, but she somehow didn’t notice. She was so out of it that she was unaware of her surroundings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daisy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She froze up and spun around to see Fitz standing there, closing the door behind him. “Ah, Fitz, what’s up?” she asked, a tremble to her voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I, uh, just want to t-talk.” Fitz played with his hands, unsure of what to say. “Are you really leaving?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy swallowed and turned back to her bag, zipping it up, “Yeah, I am.” she replied. “It isn’t safe for me here anymore.” She took a sharp breath and looked back to Fitz, “You aren’t mad at me too, are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The engineer shook his head, “No, how could I be mad at you?” He pursed his lips, “You said it was old feelings, right? Considering what Ward meant to you before, I guess it was only a matter of time before something happened. I’m not mad, just a little disappointed is all. But…” He wasn’t sure of how to approach this. “But, I don’t think anger towards Ward is any reason to take it out on a baby, you know. Just because the father’s the devil doesn’t mean the baby will be the devil as well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A slight smile pulled at Daisy’s lips. At least Fitz seemed to be on her side, “Thank you, Fitz. It really means a lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coulson and Jemma are going overboard. I think Jemma’s got Lincoln believing the same stuff as well. But, I think Lincoln just thinks the baby’s a monster since he hates Inhumans so much. I… I heard them talking this morning. And I-I didn’t like it. At all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s smile immediately fell into a frown, “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jemma was mentioning that she didn’t trust you. That she didn’t want Coulson to let you go.” Fitz began to explain, still playing with his hands. “Lincoln agreed with her that the baby needs to be dealt with before it’s too late or whatever the bloody hell they’re thinking. Daisy… You don’t need to stay here. Jemma hasn’t been the same as of late and I’m afraid that she’ll do something to you if she gets the chance. All because she hates Ward that much. I hate Ward, too, but that doesn’t mean I want something done to his unborn child, you know. Jemma wants it dead because it’s Ward’s child, Coulson the same way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy shook her head, bile starting to rise back up her throat, “No, Coulson’s afraid of the Inhumans. He passes it off of being afraid of “Ward’s spawn”, but he accidentally admitted to me that he fears it because it’s fully Inhuman, that it’s an unknown factor. That doesn’t mean they’ll come out of the womb spewing fire out of their mouth. They’ll still have to undergo Terrigenesis. And I won’t let that happen until they’re much older and they’re ready.” She took a sharp breath to steady her fraying nerves, “I’m gonna have to leave, Fitz. Like you said, it isn’t safe here. Coulson might order Simmons to do something to me the first chance he gets.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then, where are you going to go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. Anywhere’s better than here. I need to be somewhere where the baby is safe. I have to be able to get out of the building, though. I’m sure that Coulson’s not going to make that easy. He already said that he would consider it going AWOL if I leave. But, honestly, I don’t care. I just want to leave. I want this baby, Fitz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz scrunched up his mouth, “I’ll talk to May for you. So you don’t have to do it. I don’t think May would be the type to do what Coulson and Jemma are doing.” he stated. “Maybe she can figure something out. Maybe Mack can help. I’m not going to touch Morse or Hunter, though. But, I really haven’t seen them lately.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy gave him a silent, thankful look. She didn’t want to cause anymore trouble. So, she hoped that May was on her side. She needed to get out of here soon. Before anyone had the chance to hurt her or the baby. Truly, she never thought she would end up in a situation like this. This is what she got for messing around with Grant Ward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I’m just afraid of what Coulson will do if you do leave, though, Daisy.” Fitz continued. “He’ll probably consider you a threat if he’s going as far as wanting to declare you as AWOL. Can… Can you fight back?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy shrugged, keeping her back to the engineer, “Honestly, I don’t know. I internalize my powers too much. If they shatter my bones, I don’t want to know what they’ll do to a fetus. I can fight. I can shoot a gun. I can do what both Ward and May trained me to do. But, it depends on how Coulson will react. I may have to hide until the baby is here. But, SHIELD’s not a legitimate organization. Coulson can’t legally do anything to me. I can just change my name and move hundreds of miles away, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her shoulders slumped with the weight of the reality of her situation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t sure if she could hide forever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t do this alone.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>(An Hour Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you’re not mad?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May sighed and crossed her arms. No. I’m just disappointed, Daisy.” she answered, looking at the younger agent. I already had suspected what was the matter, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s face fell, “W-What do you mean?” she stammered, her stomach churning again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve acted oddly since before you collapsed.” May began to explain, her eye going to the young agent’s abdomen. “I knew that you just weren’t sick, but you seemed protective of yourself these last few days. You keep putting a hand to your abdomen and I knew that it just wasn’t a stomach bug, Daisy. I had my suspicions, but I didn’t want to say anything before it was official. Again, I am not angry with you. I cannot blame you for acting on old feelings. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> But, I cannot do what Coulson is wanting to do.” she continued. “It is your child. You have the right to choose to do what you want. Coulson’s busy in a meeting. I will turn a blind eye for the next hour. What you choose to do then is none of my business. I will try to keep Coulson off of you as long as possible, but it is no guarantee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy slung her bag over her shoulder, “Has he said what he wants to do?” she asked quietly, even though she didn’t want to know the answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May’s face fell, “He said that if you ran, he would have you dragged back here by a strike team and would have Simmons deal with the so-called ‘spawn’.” she replied, causing Daisy to feel sick. “I’ve never seen him like this. I don’t know what’s come over him. I know that he’s channeling his hatred on Ward onto the child, but this… This is unprecedented.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s afraid of them, May. He’s afraid of what it’ll become since it’s fully Inhuman. He outright admitted that he fears the Inhumans. He basically said that he was afraid of me. I can’t live here under that fear, May. You have to understand. I don’t want to wake up one day to find that my child has been taken from me because Coulson’s too damn afraid of something that doesn’t even technically exist yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s changed as of late, Daisy. Maybe it’s the stress of dealing with the Inhumans and the government.” the older agent stated. “He’s become more willing to do whatever it takes to keep others ‘safe’. Even if that means throwing people under the bus to do so. Lash’s still running around somewhere out there. The Watchdogs, too.” May looked around before looking back to Daisy, “You didn’t hear this from me, but I overheard Coulson talking to Rosalind Price. He wants the ATCU to hunt Ward down and do whatever they please with him. If he’s willing to do something like that, I would not put it past him to set their sights onto you, Daisy. Coulson likes control and you are what he considers a loose end.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, what? If I stay, I’m in danger. If I leave, I’m in danger.” Daisy felt like laughing. “Then what the fuck am I supposed to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May looked away, “I cannot answer that, Daisy. I am only helping you get out of here. That’s all I can do without putting myself at major risk. But, I would recommend that you hide somewhere safe. Somewhere where Coulson wouldn’t think to look or would be too afraid to look. But, you know that it has to be somewhere where you will be safe from him and whatever forces he can send. I don’t know what has happened to him, Daisy. But, I’ll try to stop it. Somehow. All you have to do is hide.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy bit her lip, rubbing her hands around the strap of her bag. She couldn’t go to Afterlife. She couldn’t put others at risk. She couldn’t keep running around. It would be near impossible once she was later on in the pregnancy. One option floated to the front of her mind. It was a last ditch resort, but she felt like she already needed to act upon it since the situation was dire. But, she felt like it was a definite way to keep her safe from Coulson. Only if </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>would comply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her first and last choice would have to be the safety of the baby’s own father. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One Grant Douglas Ward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just had to hope that he didn’t turn her away as well.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so Daisy's going to Grant! I know that this little part of the fic seemed short, but the main part is supposed to be Grant and Daisy rebuilding their relationship and Grant trying to protect her from Coulson. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Underneath the Rain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Daisy goes to Grant.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Four Days Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant looked up with a frown, seeing his office door open. Kebo stood in the doorway, a frown on his face. He sat up, taking his feet off of his desk, “What the hell do you want, Kebo?” he asked coldly. “I’m not in the mood for anything.” He rubbed his bandaged arm, a result of a scuffle with ATCU agents that very morning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There’s, uh, a visitor for you, boss." his right-hand man replied. "She's not leaving and is putting one hell of a fuss up about seeing you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant's face fell, "</span>
  <em>
    <span>She</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" he asked. Embers started to burn underneath his skin, “What does she look like?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About 5’5”. Muscular. Shoulder length brown hair. Kind of looks Asian if you ask me. I think I’ve seen her with Coulson’s lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now the embers </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>started to burn. How she got here, he really didn’t want to know. “Is she alone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo shrugged, “As far as we can tell. But she wants to see you. And she’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>adamant about it.” he replied. “Honestly, she kind of scares me, but that’s none of my business.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant let out a breath, “Fine. Bring her in.” he stated. “But, I want you all to be on the lookout for anyone who seems suspicious. I don’t need SHIELD raiding my base already.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo nodded and left the room. Grant stared at the open doorway, just wondering how she found him. She was good. She had probably tracked Hydra movements and pinpointed him. But why would she be alone? That wasn’t Coulson’s style. Something didn’t seem right here and he didn’t like it one bit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy soon appeared in his view and a sly smile pulled at his lips as he noticed the irritated expression on her face. He stood to his feet and spread out his arms, looking to the two Hydra agents that tailed her, “You can leave us. Whatever’s going on here, it’s between me and her. I don’t need anyone else sticking their asses into my business.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two agents looked at one another before nodding and shoving Daisy forward, causing the ground beneath them to shake a bit as she turned to glare at them. They quickly ran off, shutting the door and leaving the two of them to themselves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy frowned and looked around the room before settling her eyes onto Grant, “This is an interesting set up you have here, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Director.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Also, you need to tell those goons of yours to give me my bag back. It’s got my shit in it and I kind of need that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant almost laughed, “So, what brings you here, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Daisy</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” he asked, plopping back down into his ragged chair and propping his feet back onto his desk. “Was that closet sex so good that you finally came crawling back for more?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One, I’m surprised that you used my actual name, Ward. Two, you’re gross.” she spat. “And that isn’t what this is about, Ward. You-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alone?” Grant cut in, something burning deep in his eyes as he stared at her. Something felt wrong about her. He could tell when someone was sick because they gave off a different heat signature. But, this wasn’t it. She wasn’t sick, but she wasn’t well at the same time. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. SHIELD…. SHIELD doesn’t know I’m here. You’re easy enough to find all on my own. I ran.” Her face quickly fell, “I’m no longer an agent, Ward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The color drained from Grant’s face as he sat up, “What the fuck do you mean?” he asked, not expecting that answer. “And why come to me? You know how to survive. I’ve seen you fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s because I can’t keep hiding for forever, Ward. I got on Coulson’s bad side and he… Well, he threatened me and I couldn’t take it any longer. I ran for my own safety.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sneer quickly plastered itself onto Grant’s face, “What?” He couldn’t believe it. “You little Ms. Coulson’s Pet finally got onto the Director’s bad side?” he asked in a mocking tone. “Or did you just finally realize his absolute bullshit and threw in the towel?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>God, she couldn’t stand him. But, this was her only choice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ward, you don’t understand. I wasn’t safe there anymore. They-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coulson’s always been like this, Daisy.” Grant cut in. “The first time you fall onto his bad side you finally see what he’s capable of. You just haven’t been able to see it. There isn’t-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy couldn’t keep skirting around the point any longer. She had to nip it in the bud already. “I’m pregnant, Ward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Grant’s face fell and he became frozen. His eyes immediately went to Daisy’s abdomen. She didn’t look pregnant, but that’s what the weird heat was. It wasn’t her. It was a child. It felt alien and familiar all at the very same time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, she didn’t look far along. He felt sick as he realized what she was trying to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a sharp breath, “And it’s yours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant wanted to scream. He wanted to tell her to get it away from him. He couldn’t be a father. He would only hurt it. How could a monster care for a child? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“S-So…” He thought about his words carefully, not wanting to say the wrong thing to her, “That day in the closet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy nodded numbly, “It was enough.” She looked down, playing with her hands, “And… Coulson didn’t like it. Neither did Simmons.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant perked up at that, “What did he do?” he asked, his voice going cold. He and Daisy were nowhere close to being lovers at the moment, but he did not like the prospect of Coulson hurting her. Or hurting something that was his own flesh and blood. Grant wasn’t sure of what to think about being a father, but his protective instincts were already being redirected towards his unborn child. He didn’t like the idea of anyone being hurt because of him. Especially his own flesh and blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy kept looking at the ground, “He hasn’t done anything. Yet. But, he threatened me. Told me the best thing to do would be to get rid of the kid before it’s too late. Simmons agreed. He said that he couldn’t allow ‘the spawn of Ward’ to become a problem. He thinks that they’ll be a monster just because of who you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant raised an eyebrow, “Now, that’s fucking ridiculous. I was made this way. I wasn’t born like this. Except the whole being Inhuman thing.” He almost laughed. “He’s really wanting to take his anger towards me out on an innocent child?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s… It’s not just that. He claims that the child will be a problem because they’re a hundred percent Inhuman. He thinks that they’re an unknown factor. That they’re ‘wired to be a potential danger’. In a way, he admitted that he’s afraid of the Inhumans and he’s taking that out on a child who isn’t even here yet. They won’t be a problem until they go through Terrigenesis. And that won’t be until they’re older. But, I’ll give them that choice. Unlike we did. But, Coulson told me that he would consider me AWOL and a traitor if I left. So, I guess that’s what I am now. Because I chose my own safety over him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant leaned forward, steepling his fingers together, “So… What is it that you want me to do?” he asked, trying his best to make it seem like he was calm. Of course he wasn’t calm, the flames were right underneath his skin wanting to come roaring out. He had just found out that he was to be the father of a child SHIELD had already determined to be dangerous and wanted to get rid of. Even before it had the chance to be born. He did not like the idea of a child suffering because of his actions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy looked right at him with red-rimmed eyes. She was crying. “You don’t have to step up to be an actual father here, Ward. I don’t expect you to.” she stated. “I just want you to keep SHIELD away from me. The ATCU. Whoever. Until I can figure out what to do. But, I can’t fight, Ward. I internalize my powers too much. They shatter my bones, I don’t want to know what it would do to a baby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He kept his fingers together, mulling over his options. Yes, he didn’t want her to get hurt because of his actions. He had been the one that had incited the day in the closet. So, if anything, this was his fault. But, he knew that there was no way that he could be a father. His own father was an absent piece of shit. Garrett no better. And he was a head of Hydra. How could he help to raise a child like this? He didn’t want a kid to be born into this shithole.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you plan on keeping it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy blinked as he stared at her. She brought a gentle hand to her abdomen, “Yes. I guess.” she replied. “It’s only been a little over a week since I found out. And everything’s gone to utter shit since there. It scared me at first, but there’s a part of me that’s a little thrilled. I… I’ve always dreamed of having a normal family to make up for the orphanage. Maybe this is my chance at that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant snorted, sitting up in his chair, “And where the hell is ‘normal’ in our dictionaries, Daisy?” he asked. “I don’t want to be a buzzkill, but look at where we stand. SHIELD more than likely considers you a fugitive as of this moment. I’m a head of Hydra and I’m pretty sure that the ATCU wants me dead.” He stared at the ceiling for a few moments, “We’re both Inhuman in a world that doesn’t understand people like us. This base isn’t a home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, anything’s better than waking up one day to find that Simmons and Lincoln pulled my child away from me and didn’t even give me a choice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face fell and he drug a hand down his bearded face. Daisy now noticed how tired he looked. Like he hadn’t gotten a single wink of sleep in days. She remembered May mentioning that the ATCU was now going after him on Coulson’s orders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m tired of having Coulson taking everything away from me.” he stated, his voice small. “He almost took my life in the Vault because he let me keep trying to kill myself. He took Kara away from me because he let her get into that situation because he didn’t want to help. I’m tired of having to count the bodies of my men after every mission we have against SHIELD. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy, most of my men aren’t Hydra true believers. I’ve weeded out the people who believe in the Red Skull, Whitehall, or Malick’s cause. Most of my men are people who SHIELD has abandoned.” He looked up at her, weariness shining in his eyes, “I don’t think you know this, but many of them are Inhumans. My branch of Hydra was their last resort. I gave them protection against SHIELD and in return they gave me their loyalty. They want to fight back against SHIELD’s corruption, but they always end up dead because Coulson just sees Hydra. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I don’t care about world domination.” he continued, his voice still small and hollow. “I just want to see SHIELD fall before it can get worse. I already know that Coulson’s been in cahoots with Rosalind Price.” His eyes fell to Daisy’s abdomen, focusing on that unfamiliar heat of his own child, “But, this? This is a new low for Coulson. Wanting to rip a child from its own mother solely because of who its father is? Because of biology that it cannot help?” He sighed and stood to his feet, “I’ll let you stay. There is a room next to mine. The only stipulation is that you stay here and you do not leave alone. My men will protect you. I’ll find the doctors or whatever you need.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He swallowed and looked at her and Daisy could tell that he was on his last nerve. There was a deep anger behind his eyes that bolted her in place. She hadn’t seen his anger in a long time, but she had heard that it was catastrophic now that he had powers. “I don’t want Coulson to take my own flesh and blood. He already crossed the line when he declared you a traitor for choosing yourself over his wishes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walked towards her, “I will not hurt you, Daisy. And I will not let any of my men do so either. I will make it clear that you are my guest and you are not to be harmed. They know what will happen if they disobey my orders.” There was a coldness to his voice that scared her. Truly, she didn’t want to know what he had meant by that. “Come. We’ll go get your bag and I’ll show you to your room.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy didn’t follow at first, scared of the aura that Grant gave off. It was this hot, seething rage that felt as though it would snap at any minute. And, to be honest, she really didn’t want to know what would become of the person that got on the wrong side of his wrath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant stopped and turned to look at her, “Daisy, is everything okay?” he asked, a momentary softness settling into his voice, but that predatory look was still deep within his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She started to follow him, despite her body screaming at her for her to stop and run.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was afraid that she had gotten herself into something she would soon learn to regret.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And so Grant knows about the baby! And his anger has already been funneled towards Coulson, unfortunately. In the next chapter, we'll get more of Coulson's reaction and a glimpse as who else is on Daisy's side. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Leave Your Flowers and Grieve</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things take turn at SHIELD for the worst.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Elsewhere)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz casted a nervous look over towards Mack as Coulson continued to rant. The man was beyond angry over the fact that Daisy did leave them, claiming that she had ‘chosen’ Grant over them. But, Fitz was mentally screaming back at the Director. He knew the truth. Daisy wasn’t a traitor. Of course she would choose her own child over Coulson, it was common sense. But the man was so blinded by his anger towards Grant and his hatred/fear of the Inhumans that he had transferred all of that onto Daisy in a matter of days. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson had gone from a loving and caring father figure to a near-neurotic tyrant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz didn’t like this change in Coulson and it absolutely scared him to no end. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir, I’m trying to not be rude or anything,” Mack began, finally raising his voice, receiving a look from May. “But isn’t this a little, uh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>extreme</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Daisy’s never done anything to us before. And just because it’s Ward’s kid doesn’t mean that it’ll turn out just like him. It’s Daisy’s kid, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Morse scoffed, “I never liked Daisy.” she said in disgust. “And the fact that she let that man put her hands on her makes me sick. She should’ve known what she was getting herself into. And the fact that that </span>
  <em>
    <span>child </span>
  </em>
  <span>is a combination of the both of them should scare you. Daisy can literally tear apart the ground beneath her feet and you’ve seen how Ward’s left SHIELD teams. I still can’t get the stench of burning flesh out of my nose. They’re both monsters in their own right. Imagine the power that child will have. And Coulson’s right. What if other Hydra heads get their hands on it? That’ll spell disaster for us sure enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mack frowned, giving Morse a strange look, “It’s a child, Agent Morse. You can’t possibly think that a </span>
  <em>
    <span>child</span>
  </em>
  <span> who hasn’t even been born yet is a threat.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yet, that child is completely nonhuman.” Morse just glared at him, receiving a nod from Hunter. “And the literal hellspawn of Grant Ward. You can’t tell me that all of that won’t do something to it. That child needs to be dealt with before it’s too late.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mack’s frown deepened. He knew what it was like to lose a child and he didn’t want Daisy to go through the same all because of SHIELD’s stupidity. He could tell that she already loved the unborn baby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Agent Morse is right. I want to deal with this before it’s too late. And, maybe, we can deal with Ward at the same time. I wouldn’t be surprised if she ran to him.” Coulson explained. “I already have agents on the lookout for Ward. So, hopefully, they’ll find her with him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz clenched his fists and took a step forward, “And what do you plan on doing to Daisy when you bring her back?” he asked angrily. “You claim that she’s a traitor? Are you going to throw her into the basement just like you did with Ward?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s face fell and he turned his disapproving gaze towards the young engineer, “I have not yet thought that far, Fitz.” he stated coldly. “But, the punishment for her will be just.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you ever think that she ran for her own safety?” Fitz continued, not backing down. “That she was scared of losing the baby? Did you ever think of what </span>
  <em>
    <span>she </span>
  </em>
  <span>wanted?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Turbo…” Mack warned, not wanting the man to get himself into trouble. This was simply a fight that they could not win. The only person that was on Daisy’s side aside from him and Fitz was May. They were still outmatched. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, Coulson was being ridiculous. This was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>child </span>
  </em>
  <span>he was talking about. Yes, Grant Ward was nowhere close to being a good man, but that didn’t mean Coulson had to take it out on his unborn child. But, Mack had begun to suspect that Coulson was hiding something from them about what was going on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fitz, listen to yourself.” Simmons stated harshly. “You’re defending the literal spawn of the devil. You-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“GRANT WARD IS NOT THE DEVIL!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone’s face fell at Fitz’s scream. They all looked at one another, trying to figure out what to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simmons’ face was pale, “What do you mean, Fitz?” she asked, her voice hollow. “He was the devil. You just can’t-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Ward isn’t a good man, but h-he wasn’t the devil. Claiming that his child will be evil because he was is bloody absurd. Jemma, you’re a woman of science. You should know that people aren’t born evil. Ward was </span>
  <em>
    <span>made </span>
  </em>
  <span>that way. His family. Garrett. Us.” Fitz recognized how they had failed the man in the Vault. How it created the monster that wanted them all dead. “Hell, if anyone’s the devil, then it was John Garrett. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, my point still stands. You cannot place your anger towards Ward onto his child or Daisy.” he continued. “Daisy still has human emotions. You can’t make her out to be a monster all because she acted upon old feelings. Ward meant the world to her once, you can’t blame her. But- But you all are being fucking stupid.” He ran his hands through his hair, “You know Daisy. You know that she won’t let that baby become a monster. And so what if she ran to Ward? I think it’s pretty bad when she thinks that Ward’s company is safer than ours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glared at them once more and spun on his heels, leaving the room with a firestorm in his wake. Mack quickly ran after the engineer, not waiting for anyone’s response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Turbo, what the hell was that?” Mack asked as soon as they were clear of the meeting room, not wanting the others to hear them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sick and tired of it, Mack.” Fitz bit back, holding back tears. “Daisy’s my friend. And you see how quick they were all to turn on her for something so stupid. She didn’t betray us. That baby isn’t evil because it’s Ward nor because it’s Inhuman. They’re treating her just like Ward all because she wanted safety. You saw how scared she was. She didn’t like it here anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, I don’t like it either. I think Coulson’s going overboard. He’s projecting his anger onto something innocent. But, you cannot do something that will get you into trouble. I’m already trying to protect Elena from all of this.” Mack explained. “Maybe she did go to Ward. Maybe Ward will give her the protection she needs. But, I don’t want you getting into trouble, too. We’ll find a way to help her. You just can’t get onto Coulson’s bad side already. Okay, Turbo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz sniffed and wiped the tears from his eyes, but he remained silent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll find a way to help. I promise.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>(Elsewhere)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant watched with a frown as Daisy opened the door to her room. “I didn’t expect a Hydra base to have such nice rooms.” she stated, throwing her bag onto the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He followed in after her, “That’s because this was a SHIELD base once upon a time. It got lost in the Uprising and I happened to run across it. These were the rooms for higher-ups.” he explained. “That’s why they’re so nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy turned to look at him, “Then why are you the only one up here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant blinked, “Because I don’t like having others around me when I sleep.” he stated. He pointed to the ceiling, “There are power inhibitors installed in the ceiling in this room and mine. As a just in case. My powers used to flare up at night. That’s why no one’s allowed up here. Consider yourself lucky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” Daisy made a face, turning back to her bag. “You know, you never said how you got your powers.” She took her top off, leaving herself in a tight tank top. Grant’s eyes searched for a bump, but didn’t find one. No, she was too early for that. Probably not for another few weeks. It was still hard for him to grasp the idea that he was going to be a father. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed, leaning up against the wall behind him, “It was not too long after I started all of this shit.” he answered. “So, just a few months ago. Four, I think. Maybe five. I’ve lost track of time. But, it was a mission gone wrong. We tried raiding an old SHIELD warehouse, didn’t know that Inhumans had shacked up in there. They thought we were SHIELD. Set some kind of Terrigen trap. My men were unaffected, but the next thing I knew I was suffocating. It felt like my veins were on fire and then I woke up to a raging inferno around me. Some of my men died. Some of the Inhumans died. The Inhumans that remained joined me because they felt guilty for what happened.” There was a light in his eyes that she couldn’t quite make out. Pain, perhaps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do… Do you blame them?” She had paused and had turned around to look at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head, “No. They were only trying to protect themselves. So, I blame myself more than them.” he answered. “But, I guess it worked out in the end. I got stronger and SHIELD fears me more. But, that’s got me on the ATCU’s radar. I don’t know why it’s so sudden. I’m not too sure that it isn’t Coulson’s doing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s face fell, “What do you mean?” she asked. It had only been three days since she left. Just what the hell did Coulson do in the time that she was gone?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant shrugged, “The timing is awfully suspicious. The ATCU attacks me days after you flee SHIELD? They attacked me this morning, killing some of my men.” he explained. He held up his arm and rolled up his jacket sleeve to show a thick bandage around his forearm. “It’s probably already healed, but still. I wouldn’t put it past Coulson to use the ATCU to track me down. He’s smart, Daisy. He probably already knows that you fled to me. But, it’s bad when you think I’m safer than SHIELD.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She quickly turned her back to him once more, staring at her bag, “They wanted to kill our baby, Grant.” she muttered. Grant’s heart sank. She never called him Grant. That’s how he knew just how hurt she was. “Coulson acted like I betrayed him because I chose the safety of my own child over him. I- I couldn’t stay there.” There was a shake to her voice, “I once thought of him like a father, Grant. But, now? He’s the furthest thing from that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fire prickled at Grant’s skin and the Berserker rage fought to bubble back up his throat. He wanted to find Coulson and pin him to the ground. He wanted to slowly light the man on fire and watch as his skin melted away. He wanted to smell the scent of burning flesh in the air. He wanted- He wanted-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant, promise me this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant was torn out of his thoughts, his anger quickly subsiding as he looked to see Daisy staring at him again, her eyes shining with tears. “Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She brought a hand to her abdomen, “Promise me that you’ll do whatever it takes to protect them.” she stated. By “them”, she meant their baby. “I-I don’t think I could consider them my family anymore. Maybe Fitz and Mack. Maybe May. But, I don’t trust the rest of them. I’m scared that they’ll come and rip the baby from me. Rip the baby from us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant swallowed and nodded, fighting back the burning rage. He couldn’t lose himself here. Not in front of her. He didn’t want to scare her off right as she had just gotten here. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promise.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so there you have it. Mack's on Daisy's side and Fitz erupts at everyone else. And Daisy's already opening up to Grant and his dangerous rage is starting to peek through. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. All I Thought I Wanted</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Daisy begins to realize something.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(The Next Day)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, boss, the others aren’t too happy with having a SHIELD agent here. There’s no hiding who she is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant turned and gave Kebo a fiery look, “I don’t care to what they think.” he growled. “She is my guest, no questions asked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You never told me to why she came running to you. She looked scared.” Kebo frowned and crossed his arms. “What’s going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A muscle twitched in Grant’s face, “She messed up and got on Coulson’s bad side. She ran for her own safety and found that with me.” he answered. “Now, no more questions, Kebo. And if anyone has a problem with me sheltering her because she’s ex-SHIELD, they can take it up with me.” Flames flared in his eyes, causing the man to back away, “She’s my business. Why she’s here doesn’t matter to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo stepped forward, “She’s a SHIELD fugitive, Ward.” he stated coldly. “I wanna know what she did in case SHIELD comes busting down our doors. I don’t want to lose men or my life all because you’re still too attached to someone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant snarled, “Like I said, this is between me and her. You aren’t involved.” His voice was low and heavy. “You just make sure that she doesn’t get hurt. Alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo gave him a look before turning away and leaving without another word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant stormed off, heading back towards his ‘office’. He ran his hands through his hair to try and cool himself. Kebo was too concerned about his safety rather than the woman seeking refuge from the borderline insane organization. Truly, Grant would let all of this burn before he let someone lay a single finger on Daisy. Or his child. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, the ATCU coming after him was something he did worry about. The timing of it all was really strange to him. Just like he had told Daisy, he suspected that it was Coulson’s doing. Coulson was smart, he probably had already figured out that Daisy had run to him. Grant suspected that Coulson had gotten the ATCU to go after him, hoping that he could find Daisy in the process.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Coulson succeeded, Grant knew very well what would happen. He would either be dead or in one of the ATCU’s labs being cut open. The general public didn’t know what the ATCU did with the Inhumans that they rounded up. Daisy would be handed over to SHIELD as a prisoner. After the baby would be ripped from her like it was nothing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>God forbid that happening. Truly, there was no telling what Grant would become if he lost her and the baby. He had very little humanity left as it is and he was barely hanging onto it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was the use of trying to be a hero if the whole world thought you were a monster?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tremor shook Grant’s body as he tried to fight back the flames. He should’ve expected that his men would be wary of a former SHIELD agent staying here. Even though most of them were Inhuman just like him and Daisy, they only saw SHIELD in her. They feared that she was still under SHIELD orders. They couldn’t see her own fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant steadied himself as he approached the room that was serving as Daisy’s haven for the next God knows how long. He brought his hand to the wood and gently knocked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who is it?” he heard her call out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who else could it be? It’s me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, uh, you can come in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant frowned and opened the door, stepping into the room to find Daisy laying on the bed, a tablet in her hands. “You doing okay?” he asked, closing the door behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just reading pregnancy books. But, I don’t think any of this stuff applies to a totally Inhuman child, you know. I think Inhumans develop just the same as humans, but I don’t know. It’s not like I can ask my mother or anything. Lincoln is probably the only one who knows, but he’s on Coulson’s side.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A muscle twitched in Grant’s face, “Isn’t he Inhuman, too?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but he’s got some weird hatred of the Inhumans because he hates and fears himself. Thinks of Inhumanity as some kind of disease. Takes his fear of himself out on the entire race.” she explained, sitting up and placing the tablet aside. “One reason why I left. He’s medical, just like Simmons. He would be one of the most likely ones to do something. He harbors no hatred towards you, though. It’s just pure, unadulterated fear of something completely nonhuman.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What a prick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy almost laughed, “Well, most of them are like that now.” she stated. “Unfortunately.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s eyes fell onto the tablet, deciding to change the subject before Daisy got upset. “What were you reading?” he asked, leaning up against the wall behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just a bunch of different things. Like, I probably won’t start showing for another week or so. I’m only six and a half weeks along. It also depends on whether or not it’s just one kid, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face went pale, “M-More than one?” he stammered. “I thought you said it was just one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy shrugged, “I don’t know. The feeling is so alien to me that I really can’t tell. I’m just adamant that it’s a boy, though.” A smile pulled at her lips, “Funny how that works. I went from hating you to possibly carrying a carbon copy of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just because it’s a boy doesn’t mean it’ll look just like me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She raised an eyebrow, “Really, that’s what you think?” She snorted, “We’re not human, Ward. There’s no telling what I’ll give birth to. I’m blaming you if he comes out with tentacles.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I don’t think that’s how it works.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy shrugged, “Well, you never know.” Grant actually let out a laugh and smiled, something that was rare for him. Something fluttered in her chest as her eyes lingered on his smile. She claimed that she didn’t love him, but was that the truth?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt safer with him than she did with SHIELD. Yes, he was borderline deranged, but he didn’t show that towards her. She had only been here two days and his full attention had been locked onto her. It was clear that he didn’t want anything happening to her or their baby. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, still, Daisy was afraid to see the extent of his anger if someone did act against her. She had heard rumors from SHIELD strike teams. Rumors of a flame-wrapped devil that slaughtered everything around him, leaving nothing but ashes in his wake. She didn’t see that devil in his eyes right now, but was it still there?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hated to be the one that provoked it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, he’ll be lucky to get my good looks.” Grant stated matter-of-factly. He ran a hand down his face, “Anything else? Not so much. God forbid he gets my mental issues.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s smile quickly turned into a frown, “Ward, don’t do that to yourself. I’m sure that he’ll be fine. You were raised in a bad environment for thirty years.” she replied. “We’ll make sure that he doesn’t. I know that you’re worried about how good of a father you’ll be, but I think that you’ll learn. I know that we’re not in the most ideal of situations, but we’ll find a way to make it work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s hands turned into fists, “We won’t be able to make it work if Coulson has his way with things.” he growled, his humor morphing into pure anger. “I know that the ATCU’s after me specifically. I think Coulson doesn’t want SHIELD’s hands getting dirty, so he’s passing on the job to them. I don’t want to know what they’ll do to us if they capture us, but I won’t let that happen. I’ll kill every last one of them before I even let them lay a single finger on you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ward…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coulson lost my respect back in the Vault. Back when he kept letting me try to kill myself.” Grant hissed, glaring at Skye. Something burned deep within his eyes. “And now that you’re with me, he probably sees you as yet another villain. Coulson’s only ever cared about control, Daisy. You’re a threat now that you’re out of his control. The baby is out of his control. He’s a control-obsessed tyrant. That ‘good man’ he was has been long dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I cannot keep you hidden forever, Daisy.” he continued, taking a step towards her. Daisy shrunk underneath his predatory gaze. “There’s only so much I can do to keep them away from you. The ATCU is cutting down my men and I’ll have to fight back sooner or later. Just promise me that you won’t run if I fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy swallowed, staring him down. Even though he was scaring her, that fluttery warmth settled back into her chest.  Grant’s eyes flickered down to her abdomen; he was most likely trying to hone in on the baby’s warmth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant nodded, taking another step towards her. His predatory gaze faded away, only to be replaced by a softer, kinder light. A small smile pulled at his lips, “I won’t let anything happen to you, Daisy. I won’t let them rip our baby away from us. You have my word. I won’t hurt you again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That warmth in her chest only grew as she stared at that soft light in his eyes and a thought crossed her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe she still did love him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe that love had never gone away.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so I'm kind of throwing away the slow burn and jumping into it. It helps speed the story along and I'm sure that y'all won't complain about it one bit. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. I'm the Popular Monster</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Grant and Daisy have a heart-to-heart after disaster strikes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Two Days Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“God dammit!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy poked her head out of her room to see Grant storming past, a blast of heat in his wake. His steps were heavy; she could feel them slamming against the concrete. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to check on him or not, but she didn’t want him burning down the base in a fit of rage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Swallowing her fear down, she headed out of the room and headed towards Grant’s office. Once inside, she found Grant standing at his desk, his back to her. His back heaved and his body shook; the vibrations coming from him felt twisted and rotten. “Ward?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They can fuck themselves!” Grant screamed, slamming his fist down onto his desk. Daisy’s eyes widened as the desk split in half underneath his strength, the contents of his desk flying into the air. She made a mental note: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Never </span>
  </em>
  <span>be on the receiving end of Grant’s wrath. She had never heard of an Inhuman having more than one power. Maybe this was just a side effect of his pyrokinesis. Inhumans always paid a price for their powers, showing that they weren’t gods. Her bones literally shattered underneath her powers. Perhaps Grant’s price was a wrathful, burning anger that controlled him. The angrier he got, the stronger he got and vice-versa. It was a never-ending cycle of rage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ward, what’s going on?” she repeated, taking a slight step forward and closing the door behind her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant spun around and growled, but relaxed slightly once he realized it was her. He was so out of it that he hadn’t felt her come in. “The ATCU, that’s what’s wrong.” Flames burned in his eyes, turning them an angry blood red. No wonder why his enemies called him a devil.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s face fell, “What… What did they do?” she asked. Did she </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>want to know?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant took a breath to try and steady his nerves. He sat on one of the ruined parts of the desk, the wood creaking underneath his weight. “I have another base. Three states away in Kentucky. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Dreadnaught</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It… It got raided by a strike team force of ATCU and SHIELD agents this morning. What men I had there….” He shook his head, “There weren’t many, but there ended up being casualties. It was a base where I sent Inhumans that I’ve taken in. My commander, if you will, there reports ten were taken prisoner. Eight were killed. Many more injured. T-They’re taking everything away from me, Daisy.” Grant gritted his teeth, trying to hold back the flames.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Dreadnaught was in the middle of the mountains. Off the map. I don’t understand to how they found it.” He swallowed. “I thought that they were safe, Daisy. I sent them there because it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>supposed </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be safe. This is on me because I know that strike team was after me. Eighteen are gone. I would go save those ten myself, but I don’t have a damn clue to where the ATCU’s base is. I’m going tomorrow to see the extent of the damage and to funnel the survivors back here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy frowned. This definitely made Grant seem less like a villain and someone who actually cared about his own kind. Grant’s wrath was towards Coulson and Coulson alone. But, if Coulson was responsible for something like this, there would be no holding Grant back. And, honestly, she didn’t blame him. First, Coulson had threatened to take his child away, now he was hunting down his men trying to get to him? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, Daisy was afraid of what carnage would ensue. What kind of monster would he become if he was truly pushed to the brink of insanity? She meant far more to him than Kara ever did and what happened after Kara’s death was a complete shitshow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant,” she began, actually using his first name again. She walked towards him, slowly, of course. “This isn’t your fault. If Coulson’s the one behind that strike team, then it’s his fault. Those deaths are on him, not you. Like you said, you thought that they were safe. You can’t help what happened. Hell, you don’t know for sure if Coulson was really behind it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out, Daisy.” Grant stressed, his body slightly relaxing as he honed in on the now-familiar warmth in her womb. “The ATCU starts going after me right after you leave and he declares you a fugitive? That’s pretty big evidence right there. And you said it, Coulson fears the Inhumans. He’s also insane enough to imprison innocent people. Especially if they’re standing in the way between him and me. I am the monster in his story. He’s the monster in mine. And my men are just the ones that get caught up in between. The two of you are included in that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy came up to him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, “Grant, don’t do this to yourself.” she warned. “You aren’t to blame for what happened. You can’t help that Coulson’s become some kind of hypocritical monster. You can’t help what he wants to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And who’s to say that this isn’t karma or some twisted bullshit? You know that I’m not a good man, Daisy. You’ve seen the shit I’ve done. Even if I never intend on being the hero, I feel like this is some kind of payback for the past fifteen years.” He leaned over, burying his face into her neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy froze up at the contact. She wasn’t sure if Grant was aware of what he was doing. His skin was hot, so was the air around him. But, the contact bolted her into place, reigniting a familiar spark within her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m tired of losing everything I have because of him, Daisy. I lost Garrett. I almost lost myself. I lost Kara. I don’t want to lose you and the baby, too.” he muttered, his voice filled with weariness and grief. “I can’t lose you. I can’t lose anything else to that bastard.” He lifted his head up and stared straight into her eyes, his focus back on the warmth of the baby. “I’ll find a way to end this. I’ll find a way to stop him and protect the two of you. Because if you die, I don’t think I’ll be able to control myself. And I don’t want to become the monster Coulson obviously thinks I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going anywhere, Grant. I think… I think I’m right where I belong.” she whispered. “I won’t let him take me or the baby away from you. I will </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>let that happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next thing she knew, Grant’s lips were on her, his unnatural warmth seeping into her mouth. His hands were on her hips, drawing her closer. Daisy gasped as Grant’s hand went underneath her shirt and his lips went to her neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think this is how we got in this mess, Grant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant pulled back and chuckled, his eyes darkened with lust. “You’re already knocked up, Daisy.” His voice was husky, making heat start to pool between her thighs. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>right. They couldn't make it any worse. She <em>was </em>already pregnant. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He lifted her up, allowing her to wrap her legs around him. “Let’s take this to a bedroom, Grant.” she muttered, hissing as Grant’s hand brushed her breast. “Don’t need someone walking in on us, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant chuckled again, immediately heading towards the door as Daisy buried her head into the crook of his neck. A part of Daisy thought that they really shouldn’t be doing this when Coulson and the ATCU were out there hunting them down. But, perhaps, this would help them in the long run. If they trusted one another, that would be one less thing for them to worry about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant bursted the door to his room open, making sure to lock it behind them. His lips met hers again, a kind of hunger overtaking him. “Take that Goddamn shirt off.” he growled, already unhooking her bra. He sat her down on the bed, allowing for her to take her shirt off. Daisy let out a laugh as she watched his eyes darken even more once they met her bare breasts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“God, you’re fucking beautiful.” His eyes went down to her abdomen, seeing that there was still no physical sign of the baby. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re such a guy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smirked, taking his shirt off. He approached her, crawling onto the bed and looming over her. He moaned as he kissed her once more, his hands going to her pants. Daisy’s mind went numb as they both went into autopilot, absolute bliss overtaking the both of their minds. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, Grant.” she moaned as her pants came off. “Don’t stop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His smirk only grew as she reached for his pants. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, I’ll never let you go. I can promise you that. I won't let anyone hurt you anymore.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And there's the spiciness y'all were waiting for. Honestly, 'slow burn' here just meant a few chapters in. Sure y'all aren't complaining. Next chapter will reveal Coulson's plans. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The King of Sorrow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Daisy confirms her feelings for Grant.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(A Little Bit Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you really mean it earlier?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm?” Daisy turned around in Grant’s arms. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That you love me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s face fell. Her mind had been so overcome with lust that she hadn’t realized what she had said. But, she knew that she meant it. She still did love him, despite what everyone else thought of him. She bit her lip, trying to figure out how to say it. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>love him, it was just really hard for her to properly explain. Especially after all the shit that he had done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess. It’s kind of hard to explain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He raised an eyebrow, wanting for her to continue. His lips twitched. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that it’s strange, but I don’t think I ever stopped loving you. Even after what happened with Garrett. What happened with Morse. Even after all of that shit. What happened in the Vault… That was my fault. I was angry with you. I was angry at myself for not seeing who you were.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant swallowed, “So… How do you feel about me now?” he asked. He was glad that she still loved him despite his past actions. At least someone still looked at him in a positive light. She was the only one that did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shrugged, “It’s kind of complicated. I do love you. I want you here for the baby and you’re one of the only people that genuinely care about me. But, I can’t forget what you did. But, we’re spies. We all have some kind of red in our ledgers, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything I did for Garrett was a mission.” he answered, pulling her closer to his bare chest. “Now? It’s a lot more personal. But, no one I target is innocent. They were either related to SHIELD or to Hydra. It was just either SHIELD’s or Garrett’s orders. Coulson should’ve realized that a long time ago. Now, I’m trying to do something slightly good by protecting my own kind, but it’s gotten me into a bigger shitstorm.” He sighed, “But, I don’t expect you to forgive me for what I did in the past, Daisy. People like me don’t deserve forgiveness. No one should ever forgive me. I’m trying to erase that monster, but Coulson’s making it hard for me to do so.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was the truth. He hadn’t mentioned to Daisy that he was afraid of himself. The way he lost control in combat terrified him and he was afraid that he was becoming the monster that Coulson thought him to be. But, was it worth becoming a monster in the end if it saved his own flesh and blood? Was it worth giving up the tiny shred of humanity that he had left to ensure that his child survived all of this? Grant was starting to consider that, especially after what Coulson had done the day before. Or what he thought the man had done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She frowned, “I’m sorry that I called you a Nazi, Grant. I was angry and I didn't know what else to do.” She buried her head into his chest, soaking in his warmth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not the worst thing I’ve been called. You never heard the insults my mother threw at me. I wouldn’t dare repeat them to you.” He thought back to his mother. The way she had screamed </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You fucking devilspawn! Burn in hell!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>at him as the cops took him away after the arson. He let out a small, dark laugh. Funny how things ended. She was the one burning in hell and he was literally made of fire. He craved to know what she would see him as now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy drew herself closer to Grant, if that was even possible, and pulled him out of his thoughts. “I don’t think I would’ve liked your mother.” she half-joked. But it was the truth. She would’ve never wanted to meet his family.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, no one did. But, don't worry about it. It's understandable that you were angry. You had the right to be angry at me. I hurt you in the worst way possible. You don’t have to apologize.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant pressed a lazy kiss to her forehead, “But,” he continued. “I’d rather not think about the past, Daisy. I’d like to think of what we have now and what we’ll have in the future. I want to protect what we have.” His hand moved to her abdomen, trying to refocus on the baby’s heat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you feel him?” Daisy asked, burying her head in the warmth of Grant’s chest once again. She wanted to change the subject. Just in case she accidentally set Grant off with the wrong question. “What does he feel like anyways?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s hard to explain. Everyone has their own unique heat signature to me.” Grant began to explain. “That’s how I can tell you apart from someone like Kebo when you walk into the room while I’m not looking.” His eyes lit up with a warm light, “It’s a comforting warmth. It’s not strong. Kind of like the warmth of a blanket.” He frowned as he moved his hand around, noticing something different, “That’s strange.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy frowned, “What’s wrong?” Her heart leapt up into her throat, worried that something was wrong. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The warmth changed. It’s a different warmth, slightly different from the first.” He moved his hand again to find the first warmth and then again to find the second. “There’s two warmths and it’s not you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy pulled away from him, slight fear shining in her eyes, “Wait, hold on. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Two</span>
  </em>
  <span>?!” She shook her head, “Oh, God. Grant, are you sure?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I trust my powers, Daisy.” He chuckled, seeing her pull down the blanket to look at her own stomach. “Guess we’re going to have two hellspawn Inhumans on our hands.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great.” she moaned, throwing her head back into the pillow. “That’s the last thing Coulson needs to find out, Grant. If he finds out I’m carrying two kids, that’ll be the end of things. Plus, I’m gonna be the size of a damn whale. No thanks to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant reached out and wrapped an arm around her, “You’re going to look amazing, Daisy. And don’t worry about Coulson.” His gaze darkened, “I won’t let him lay a single finger on you. I’ll make sure of that. He’ll die before I let him touch you.” His lips kissed a lazy trail down the valley between her breasts, causing her to shiver. "Twins." He laughed. "Definitely an interesting concept." He pulled away from her, “But, you claim it’s a boy.” he stated, looking down at her. “Do you think it’s two boys?” He shivered as one of her fingers traced one of his abs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy frowned, “God, I really don’t need three of you on my hands.” she muttered, giving him a dirty smirk. “One’s bad enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy suddenly found Grant on top of her, a lust-filled smirk on his face, “What are you trying to say, Daisy?” he asked lowly, leaning down to kiss her again. “I thought you liked me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She raised an eyebrow, “That doesn’t mean that you’re not an asshole.” she shot back as heat began to pool between her thighs once more. “I don’t need three assholes on my hands. Three Grant Wards sounds like trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take that as a compliment, Daisy.” he breathed, his tongue ghosting the rim of her ear, causing her to shiver again. “You know I’m not a good man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m…” She hissed, Grant’s hand going between her thighs. “I beg to differ...” Grant chuckled as her words faded away. He absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved </span>
  </em>
  <span>how she crumbled underneath his touch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready for another round?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thought you would never ask.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>(Elsewhere)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, there were no signs of Ward at that base?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No, I think that was just a warehouse for his Inhuman lackeys. We did obtain ten prisoners. Eight died. All Inhuman. The prisoners have no idea of where Ward’s main base is, though. Seems like Ward likes to keep himself well-hidden. There was no sign of Agent Johnson either.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>Coulson’s lips twitched,</span> <span>“That was The Dreadnaught. Gehenna is his main base.” he replied, looking at files on his desk. “Rosalind, this doesn’t make sense. We have Hydra files. But, nothing marks Gehenna’s location. I just know that it’s in the States. He likes to fuck with us too much for him to leave the country. Especially if Agent Johnson is with him.”</span></p><p>
  <span>Rosalind Price, the head of the ATCU, laughed on the other end of the line, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Ward’s a slippery bastard, I’ll give you that. He’s good, but we also can’t let him have the run of the place. He’s dangerous. You know what he did to the last strike team that actually fought with them. I sent ten men. Only two returned. The other eight were burned beyond all recognition and now the survivors can’t sleep at night. Ward turns into a complete monster, Coulson. A flame- wrapped devil. The rest of the government is pressuring me to capture him as soon as possible. You let me have him, you can have Agent Johnson. In exchange for a favor.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson frowned, not liking where this was going, “What?” He was tired of doing favors. He just wanted the job done. He wanted Grant dead and Daisy back under his control before it was too late. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You let that child of hers be born.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Rosalind answered. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“That child is better off with us than dead. The Inhumans have only been a problem for a year now, so we have yet to deal with someone who is fully Inhuman. Especially the child of two very powerful Inhumans. It would be a waste for you to pull that child from her womb now, Phil. You ensure that the child is born healthy and you let us have it for study.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The man pursed his lips, considering Rosalind’s request, “Fine.” he replied. Truly, he didn’t care what happened to the baby, as long as it was gone.“The child is yours. Do whatever you please with it, Rosalind. All I want is Agent Johnson back and in my custody so something like this doesn’t happen again. All long as you can promise that Ward will never see the light of day again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“My team watched him survive a grenade blast last week and regrow his arm back from the elbow down, Phil. That man is a new breed of Inhuman. Something we haven’t dealt with yet. I don’t think he can be killed so easily. But, I can ensure that he won’t see the outside of a lab again. I don’t want him dead. I want him as a specimen that we can use to study Inhuman biology. Agent Johnson is all yours, Phil. Just help me ensure that I can have both Ward and his child.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson nodded, “You have a deal, Rosalind. And I know that this is off-topic, but are we still on for dinner tomorrow night?” he asked, a quiver in his lips. At least once this was all said and done, Grant and the </span>
  <em>
    <span>hellspawn </span>
  </em>
  <span>would be out of his hands. And he would ensure that Daisy would never do something so callous again. He had his own plans for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Of course, I’ll see you then, Phil.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“See you, too, Roz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson ended the call, slightly laughing at himself as he looked back down to the files on his desk. “It’s all coming together. Daisy will be back here and Ward and the hellspawn child will be out of my hands. I’ll deal with Daisy. Make her forget about Ward and the child.” He laughed again, unaware of who was listening to him outside of his office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May brought a hand to her mouth, slowly backing away from Coulson’s office to ensure that she wasn’t heard. She had walked in on the call. She knew that he was working with the ATCU to bring Ward in, but nothing like this. She hadn’t realized that the man was </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>extreme in his tactics to bring the man in. Coulson had the call on speaker, which was just May’s luck. She had heard every last bit of the call. Wanting the child dead was one thing, but giving it up for experimentation along with its father and making its mother forget everything that had happened? It was sick. It was twisted and foul. Not like Coulson at all. May knew that the man he once had been was now long dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell have you gotten yourself into, Phil?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Alright! So the relationship between Daisy and Grant is settled, which puts that out of the way. And Coulson's plans for the two are revealed, and it's definitely nothing nice. Any guesses of what's to come? (And please leave a comment if you can! I wanna know if I'm on the right track here!) Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Searching for a Way Out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things start to brew.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(The Next Day)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir, you know that it was best that you don’t go to the Dreadnaught’s remains. The government knows where it’s at and it’s likely that they have it staked out waiting for you to come back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant steepled his fingers, “Give me the recovery report, then.” he stated, anger lacing his voice. He had wanted to go to the ruins to see what remained, but Kebo wasn’t allowing it. He looked around, making sure that Daisy was still in his, well </span>
  <em>
    <span>their, </span>
  </em>
  <span>room. He didn’t want her to see any of this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo sighed, “The remaining men and recovered supplies have been transferred to </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Farm</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The Terrigen stock has been transferred here to the basement area.” he explained. “It’s a miracle that the strike team didn’t destroy or find the Terrigen. We also managed to take a prisoner. He was injured and left behind. He’s been transferred to The Farm as well and is awaiting interrogation. I figured that you would want to do the honors. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, eight of my men die and ten are captured for what? Fear?” Flames darkened Grant’s eyes. “What happened is my fault. That strike team is after me.” He chuckled, “I’ll go tomorrow and see what I can force out of the prisoner. I have a gift of making </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone </span>
  </em>
  <span>talk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are they suddenly attacking in full force out of nowhere, boss?” Kebo asked, crossing his arms. “They haven’t done anything like this before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s because I have something SHIELD wants and Coulson is taking his anger out on the innocent.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant took a sharp breath and leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling, “It’s the girl, Agent Johnson. She ran from them, like you know.” he stated. “But… It’s more than that. SHIELD wouldn’t be doing this if she had just ran.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what did she do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He returned his gaze to the mercenary, “She’s carrying my children.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo blanched, “So, </span>
  <em>
    <span>that’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>why you’ve been so damn protective of her these past few days?” he asked harshly. “Children? No wonder why SHIELD wants her. The children of one Grant Ward who also happen to be pure Inhumans?” He almost laughed, “You’ve really done it this time, boss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant shot him a fiery look, “Shut it.” he growled. “Old feelings caught up to us. Things happened. But, she is keeping our children and I am keeping SHIELD away from her. They want to drag her into a cell and tear them away from us. I can’t let that happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised that you haven’t burned SHIELD down to the ground yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daisy doesn’t know that side of me yet, Kebo. I intend to keep it that way as long as possible. I know that she’s heard rumors of what I become, but she hasn’t seen it. I can’t do that to her. I’m hiding her here until I can figure out what to do. Coulson’s hatred of me and his fear of the Inhumans has clouded his judgement. He’s declared Daisy a fugitive all because she chose her own children over him. She’s a traitor in his eyes and I don’t like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I would like very much to pin Coulson down and burn him layer by layer.” Grant continued, his voice flat and emotionless. Kebo hated it when Grant got like this. When his emotions burned away and he was left cold and unmoved. This is when he could tell what the man had been through. “But, I know that Daisy believes that there’s still good in that bastard, so I don’t want to kill him yet. I just want to see my children survive. I want her to survive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you plan on raising kids in this dump?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant shrugged, “I honestly haven’t thought that far yet.” he answered. “I’m taking things one step at a time. I have to deal with both SHIELD and the ATCU before I can worry about where I can raise my kids? Ideally, I’d raise them far away from here. I have many safehouses that can work. But again, that can’t happen until SHIELD and the ATCU are stopped.” He ran a hand down his beard, “You know what? Have someone hack into SHIELD files. Particularly Coulson’s. See what can be found about this takedown against me. If this prisoner doesn’t give me what I want. It’s likely that he doesn’t know much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo raised an eyebrow, “Isn’t that girl of yours a hacker?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to drag Daisy into this any more than she has been. Yes, she’s fully capable of hacking SHIELD files. But SHIELD knows how she hacks. It’ll tip them off. Have someone at </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hellstorm </span>
  </em>
  <span>do it. Make sure that they bounce their location around. Hopefully, Coulson has a record of what he’s doing somewhere. If not, we can hack the ATCU.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll tell someone, boss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, now leave.” Grant stood to his feet. “I need to go check on her. All of this is really hard on her. And she’s only comfortable with me.” Kebo gave him a scowl before leaving the room. Grant sighed, running his hands through his hair as he headed out of the office and back towards the bedrooms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave a single knock before coming in, stopping and frowning as he saw Daisy standing in front of the full-length mirror, only in a bra and shorts. He let out a chuckle, closing the door behind him, “That’s quite a nice surprise.” He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her close. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was just looking.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My stomach.” she pulled away from him and turned around. “Seeing if I notice any differences. I’m only seven weeks as of today. Some of what I read said that someone carrying twins can show as early as six weeks. Especially someone as skinny as me. But, I think it’s nothing but bloating at this point. Can’t even button my jeans without stretching them out. I’m just getting fat. My stomach’s a little more taut than usual, but I don’t think it’s a baby. Look, even my abs aren’t as well-defined.” Grant had noticed before that she had put on a little weight, but he wasn’t going to say anything about it. But, it didn’t look like a baby bump to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant laughed again, pulling her close once more, “You’re still beautiful, Daisy.” he stated. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll start showing sooner or later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy snorted, burying her head in his chest, “That’s why I love you, Grant.” she muttered into his shirt. “You don’t care if I’m different or if there’s something wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why should that even matter, Daisy? You’re beautiful no matter what.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy blushed, pulling away from Grant. “Oh, yeah, speaking of Daisy. I wanna ask you something, Grant.” She turned and reached for her shirt, which looked a whole lot like one of Grant’s shirts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned back to face him, bunching the shirt up in her hands, “I’ve been thinking about this a lot since yesterday, but… Can you just call me Skye?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant blinked, his face falling into a frown, “Why?” he asked. “I thought Daisy was your name? Do you… Do you not like it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shrugged, “I’m fine with just you calling me Skye.” she answered. “It kind of separates the team from you. I’m still Daisy to them. But… I’m giving you permission to call me Skye again. Consider it a nickname of sorts, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A smile pulled at Grant’s lips, “Should I be honored?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She threw the shirt at him, “Of course you should! That means… That means that I am that comfortable with you, I guess.” She frowned, “I just… I just feel more comfortable with you calling me Skye instead of Daisy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant handed the shirt back to her. “Whatever suits you best. I’ll go with whatever you say.”  he stated as she slipped the shirt on. Grant frowned, “Wait, that’s one of my henleys. Have- Have you been going through my stuff?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy just grinned at him. “I’m getting too fat for my clothes and I have plenty of room to grow in yours. Plus, I like the way they smell. Smells just like Grant Douglas Ward. It kind of smells like a fireplace with cologne.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can go buy you maternity clothes or whatever, Skye.” he shot back. “But don’t take my perfectly good shirts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Watch out and I’ll take your boxers, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant just grumbled and frowned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If this was going to be her for the next seven or so months, he was absolutely fucked.</span>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>(Elsewhere)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Simmons, I’ve been thinking about Ward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simmons looked up at Lincoln with disgust, “Haven’t we all?” she asked harshly. “That’s all that’s on anyone’s minds these days. Especially with Daisy possibly running off to him and all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lincoln rolled his eyes, “I’m talking about his Inhumanity, Simmons. Something isn’t sitting right with me about how powerful he is.” he explained. “He’s completely unhinged and unstable. I know that he’s still a newborn Inhuman, but something isn’t right. He’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>too </span>
  </em>
  <span>powerful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simmons frowned, “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Back at Afterlife, Jiaying placed Inhumans through an extensive screening process before allowing them to go through the Mist. Not everyone got to go through. It was her say and her say only. It kept things in line. Anyone who could be deemed mentally unstable wasn’t allowed because sometimes Terrigenesis makes them worse. We still don’t know why. It’s probably the genetic mutations, but we don’t know. Sometimes people just can’t handle the change and they lose control of everything. Ward’s decimated entire strike teams in a matter of seconds. Inhumans are powerful, dangerous. But, he gives a whole meaning to the term dangerous. Coulson mentioned to me yesterday that there’s footage of Ward surviving a grenade blast, but he lost an arm. But the arm grows back in a matter of minutes. He’s too powerful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what? He’s a freak case?” A smile pulled at Simmons’s lips. “That’s ironic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m saying that he’s more Inhuman than human. I think it’s possible that he’s purely Inhuman like that child is.” Lincoln continued to explain, contempt in his voice. “We rarely had anyone who was purely Inhuman and Jiaying rarely let them go through Terrigenesis. Pure Inhuman means that he received the gene from both parents. He has two copies of the Inhuman gene instead of one. There’s no human side in him holding him back. Pure Inhumans are who become the monsters. Instead of one side of him having powers, it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>both </span>
  </em>
  <span>sides. Two copies of the gene makes an Inhuman much more powerful.” He frowned, “Also, he was never stabilized. We do a procedure at Afterlife that helps to stabilize a newborn’s mutation and their powers. Ward never had that. He’s a walking time bomb before his powers go boom. It’ll just take one trigger to make just that happen.” Lincoln’s face fell, “And there’s no telling to what he’ll become once that does happen, Simmons.” He knew that if they went about this whole thing the wrong way, they could trigger something in Grant. Something that they would come to fear and regret. Grant needed to be killed soon. Along with that child.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simmons’s face grew pale, “Have you told Coulson this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lincoln shook his head, “I didn’t want to drop that bomb onto him right now. Daisy might be enough to keep him at bay for now, but he </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>snap. If he becomes a monster with ease in a fight, imagine what will happen if he loses all sense of self. He’s already insane enough. And there’s no telling what could set him off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lincoln huffed, “Then Coulson better work on bringing him in soon.” he stated coldly. “Ward’s better off dead before his Inhumanity can overcome him. That child, too. This is why Inhumanity is a plague that needs to be solved. There needs to be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>cure</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It creates too many monsters. It destroys a person’s sense of self. If Ward’s a monster, just imagine what that </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing </span>
  </em>
  <span>of theirs will become.” Disgust laced his voice. “Coulson needs to end this before </span>
  <em>
    <span>it </span>
  </em>
  <span>can be born.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simmons pursed her lips. She still didn’t know why Daisy had allowed herself to get into the situation that she was in. Why she had let Ward touch her and handle her like that was beyond Simmon’s ability to comprehend. If they had to fight Grant Ward to get Daisy back, people would die. And Lincoln </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>right. There was no telling to what kind of monster Grant would become if pushed far enough. He was already unstable, which just made things worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just knew that they had to end this before it was too late.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A little fluff from Grant and Daisy. But also a warning from Lincoln of what could come. Also, I'm probably making up pure nonsense about the Inhumans here, but that doesn't matter. The Inhumans from the comics don't make a whole lot of sense to me, so let's just roll with what I make up for the sense of the aos universe (at least I'm trying to tie it back into what we were actually shown in Afterlife). Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. My Demons Simultaneously Rage</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Grant has a run-in with the prisoner.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(The Next Day)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant threw open the door to the interrogation cell, a cruel smile pulling at his lips as he saw fear appear in the prisoner’s eyes. He took a quick mental note of the guy, slamming the door shut behind him. The prisoner wore the tatters of an ATCU uniform. He was several inches shorter than Grant and a whole lot lankier. There was no way he could take Grant in a fight without weapons. Powers or not. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant chuckled, looming over the man, “So, I take it that you know who I am.” he stated, a purr in his voice. “So, tell me why I shouldn’t kill you right now. Ten of my men were taken prisoner. Eight were killed. That was a base providing safety for the Inhumans I have under my watch. Most of them are innocent people. They just wanted safety from the ATCU and SHIELD.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh. No Inhuman is innocent.” the man spat, glaring up at Grant. “All of you are monsters.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant frowned, embers starting to burn underneath his skin as he could feel the soul-twisting rage start to crawl up his throat. He didn’t like being called a monster. He was many things, but a monster wasn’t one of them. “So… You think my entire kind are monsters all because we exist? I think there’s a word for that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You all deserve to </span>
  <em>
    <span>die</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re insinuating that the Inhuman race deserves to die because we’re Inhuman. Sounds very genocide-like to me.” Grant’s frown grew, “Sounds like you’re the true monster to me.” He sighed, “Look, I’m not here to argue, whatever the hell your name is. I just want to know who’s in charge of the strike team. I know that it’s joint between SHIELD and the ATCU. And I have a feeling to who’s behind it, but I just want to make sure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like I’ll tell you a single damn thing, you fucking freak.” The man struggled in the chair he was tied to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant bit down the burning rage. “We can do this one of two ways and neither of them are the easy way.” he stated coldly. “Just tell me who’s in charge of you and we’ll be good to go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never in a million fucking years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant snapped his fingers and a small flame blazed to life on the tip of his index finger. He brought it close to the soldier. “Do you know what this is, fuckhead?” he asked. “It’s fire. It burns. But, I can control how hot it is. I can make it range from a simple first degree burn to a severe third degree. So, it’s in your best interest that you tell me what I want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The soldier’s eyes shrunk in fear, but he kept his mouth shut. He was trained to </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>give up classified info. No matter what.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wrong answer.” Grant shoved his finger into the side of the man’s neck, smiling as he cried out in pain and the stench of burning flesh started to permeate the air. Grant </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved </span>
  </em>
  <span>that smell. He pulled his finger away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The thing about third degree burns is that it burns all the way through. It soon stops hurting because it damages nerve endings.” His smile grew, “I lied about the first degree burn.” There was a wild, unhinged light in his eyes. This happened when he used his powers. When his bloodlust was focused on a particular target. When the </span>
  <em>
    <span>monster </span>
  </em>
  <span>started to show itself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man gritted his teeth, tears streaming down his face, “F-Fuck you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You see, I could do this all day. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>diagnosed with pyromania as a kid and it’s stronger than ever. I just have a greater appreciation for the effect fire has on the human body. The way it disfigures. The way it leaves nothing but bone behind. The smell. The sounds.” The wild light in his eyes grew, “I think you want to end up like your coworkers. Disfigured. Dead. I really don’t care. So, who sent you? And don’t say the ATCU or Rosalind Price. I know that much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Director Coulson!” the man cried. “H-He’s behind this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s lips twisted into a smile again, “That’s what I figured.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, that’s a-all I know.” the soldier begged. “We agents don’t know anything. We were told that the director of SHIELD was in charge of the joint strike team and we were to bring in you and some girl named Daisy Johnson. They called it </span>
  <em>
    <span>Operation Assiah. </span>
  </em>
  <span>But, I swear that’s all I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Operation Assiah. So, Coulson knows about this base. I believe him, though. That’s probably all he knows. He just knows his targets. Coulson doesn’t disclose much.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Grant thought. His smile grew tight, “Thank you. Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“P-Please don’t kill me.” he begged, shifting around in the chair. “I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you live. You aided in the capture of ten of my men and the death of eight. I just can’t let that slide.” Grant extended his hand and snapped, a single spark jumping from his fingers and landing on the tatters of the soldier’s uniform. The man suddenly engulfed in bright, hot flames. Flames that burned hotter than any earthly fire. Grant’s lips twisted back up into a wicked grin as he turned around and the man’s screams were suffocated out. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Flash fire.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Grant thought as the man burned behind him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“A sudden, intense combustion. So intense that it rips the oxygen from the lungs. Probably had gunpowder residue on his uniform.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He raised his hand and clenched it into a fist, snuffing out the flames. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant began to walk away from the man, who was now nothing more than a twisted, charred corpse. His smile grew as he heard something fall off the corpse and hit the ground with a thud. Probably a limb. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s the problem with hellfire.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“It burns until nothing’s left.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He left the room and approached Kebo, who had been watching the whole time, “Tell whoever’s doing the hack against Coulson to find anything related to an </span>
  <em>
    <span>Operation Assiah</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” he ordered. “That’s the name of whatever Coulson’s running against me.” He ran his hands through his hair to calm his nerves. His nerves had returned as quickly as he had lost them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo nodded and took a sharp breath, “You lost it again, boss.” he stated coldly, looking the man dead in the eyes. “This can’t keep happening. And it’s happening a lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant frowned, raising an eyebrow at his right-hand man, “I didn’t lose it in there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you did. You lost grip with reality. It’s like you become </span>
  <em>
    <span>something </span>
  </em>
  <span>else when you lose your nerves. I think those powers of yours control you. We can’t let the field incidents happen here.” he explained. “Something is wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face fell, “You heard the way that man talked.” he shot back. “Called me a monster just because I’m Inhuman. I don’t like being called a monster.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah? But what I saw in there was a borderline monster. You’re slowly losing yourself each and every day, Ward. I don’t know what it is. And you bringing that girl and your children in here has made it worse. I think you need to talk to someone. It’s those powers of yours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, I know that something’s wrong, Kebo.” Grant said, lowering his voice. “But, please, don’t bring it up around </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>, okay? I can’t let her know that something’s wrong. She’s already heard the rumors of me in battle. I can’t let her know that it happens in non-combat situations. I’ll find a way to deal with it.” His face darkened, “I don’t want her worrying more than she already is, Kebo. Don’t bring it up unless we’re alone, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo frowned, eyeing the man carefully. He knew that Grant was on a slippery course and he didn’t want to die just because the man refused to deal with what was going on. He was loyal to Grant, but not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>loyal. He would save his own skin before he let Grant get him killed. With a nod, he left. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant took a sharp breath, running a hand over his ragged beard. The interrogation didn’t go the way he intended, but at least they had a name for what was going on. And a confirmation that Coulson was behind this. He would have Daisy run a hack for </span>
  <em>
    <span>Operation Assiah</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but it was too risky. SHIELD knew how she worked. It was better if he had someone off base do it so they weren’t exposed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant hadn’t intended on killing the man, but it wasn’t something that he regretted. The man had helped in capturing ten Inhumans and killing eight more. It was something that was bound to happen, Grant supposed. He just knew that he needed to get a reign on his anger before he did something that he would come to regret.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, he wasn’t sure of where the anger stemmed from. He thought it was the old Berserker Rage bubbling back up and mixing with his newfound, very unstable powers, creating a bomb of sorts. Grant wasn’t sure of what would happen if it blew. He was already losing his hold on reality whenever his anger set it. What happened during battle with SHIELD or ATCU agents proved that. It was like everything around him melted away and when he came to he would be surrounded by charred bodies and flames. He didn’t care about what happened to Coulson’s men, he was just afraid that Daisy would see that side of him and would run. He didn’t want her to become afraid of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he headed back to his and Daisy’s room, Grant knew that it was only a matter of time before he was completely pushed over the edge. Coulson wouldn’t back down until someone was dead and Grant very much preferred that to be Coulson himself. He just wasn’t sure if Daisy would let him do just that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking another sharp breath, Grant opened the door. He smiled as his eyes locked with Daisy’s, who was lounging on the bed, her computer in her lap. She placed the laptop aside and sat up as he walked over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did it go? Did you get anything out of him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant nodded slowly as he sat on the edge of the bed, Daisy scooting to where she was right next to him. “Yes. Coulson is behind these joint attacks.” he answered. “But, I already assumed that. Unfortunately, the guy knew nothing more other than that the team was supposed to bring the two of us in and that the joint thing is called </span>
  <em>
    <span>Operation Assiah</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy frowned, “Assiah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant shrugged, “In opposition to </span>
  <em>
    <span>Gehenna</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I guess.” he stated. “But, I have a man running a hack for any information on it. In both SHIELD and ATCU records. And before you say anything, I didn’t want you getting your hands on it. SHIELD knows how you work and I would much rather have an off-base man do it. That way this base isn’t compromised if the hack goes bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well.” Daisy frowned. “That does make sense. I could ping the signal around, but it’s still risky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly, that’s why I don’t want you doing anything with it. I don’t want you getting into even more trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… What happened to the guy?” Daisy questioned, not wanting to dwell on any one subject for too long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her face immediately fell, “Huh? Why? What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He pissed me off and I had no use for him. I killed him.” Grant stated matter-of-factly. “Called the Inhumans ‘freaks. I don’t take too kindly to something like that. And I don’t take prisoners, Skye.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She still felt sick, though. She hated that he had to be such an emotionless killer in certain situations. But, she assumed it was warranted. The man had been a part of a mission to take the two of them in and was responsible for the imprisonment of ten Inhumans and the death of eight others. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy frowned, “Grant, are you sure that we’re safe here?” she asked, changing the subject once more. “Will we be okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded, “This wasn’t a documented Hydra base.” he stated. “SHIELD wouldn’t know about this place because they’re the ones that forgot about it in the first place. We’ll be okay as long as no one rats us out.” He brought a hand to her abdomen, feeling the gentle warmth of his children. “Oh, I have someone coming next week to check you out.” he stated. “He’s, uh, an underground doctor, but he says that he’s had experience with babies. So, he should be able to make sure that they’re okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Underground doctor?” Daisy didn’t like the sound of that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relax, I’ve worked with him before, Skye. He’s fine. And he’s just bringing an ultrasound. Nothing else. I’ll make sure of that.” He took her hand, pressing the back of it to his lips. “I just want to make sure that they’re healthy. You’ll be two months next week, we ought to see if everything’s alright.” He smiled, “Take our mind off of things for a bit. I won’t do anything until I find out more about Operation Assiah. Or if Coulson does something first. Okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy just felt uneasy about everything. Yes, she loved Grant and didn’t want anything happening to him, but she didn’t agree with his methods. He seemed unhinged at times and she sensed that something was wrong. But, he was right, they did need to take their minds off of things for just a little while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So a little insight to what's going on with Grant. I will say that it's mainly his Berserker rage mixing in with the instability of his powers, which creates a pretty deadly mixture. And it's also combining with his protectiveness of Daisy and the twins. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming! (And be sure to comment if you can! I still wanna know if I'm on the right track or not!)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Will We Remember the Lesson?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Daisy and Grant find more out about the kids.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(A Week Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant, come here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant bolted out of the bathroom, his hair still dripping wet and a towel wrapped around his waist. His heart leapt into his throat. “What’s wrong?!” he exclaimed. But, his face fell as he noticed joy on Daisy’s face instead of alarm. “Ah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her shirt was lifted up so he could see the skin of her stomach. “I’m showing, Grant!” she beamed. She ran her hand over the small bump. Grant squinted his eyes. He hadn’t really been paying attention lately. Any time he had spent running a hand over her stomach his mind had been, well, elsewhere. But, he could make out a small bump in her lower abdomen. It was small, but it was there. Physical evidence that their kids were </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant smiled and came up to her. Daisy took his hand and guided it over the bump. It wasn’t the </span>
  <em>
    <span>most </span>
  </em>
  <span>notable thing. Really, the most noticeable thing to Grant had been Daisy’s breasts. They were slowly getting bigger. More plump and firm. And her nipples were slowly getting darker as well. But, that wasn’t something he was going to tell her. She would accuse him of thinking with his dick. Which, yeah, he probably was sometimes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let out a gentle laugh, splaying his hand over her abdomen, “They’re really there.” He honed back onto their heats, focusing on the small difference that discerned the two of them for him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant, you can literally feel their heat. I don’t think you needed a baby bump to prove that they’re there. Besides, I think 3 bathroom trips in the past two hours alone make up for that. And the fact that I can’t get my pants to fit. Also, someone was cooking something weird this morning and it made me throw up.” She frowned, “And I’m only in the first trimester. Imagine what I’ll be like in the third. I’ll be the size of a whale and waddling around everywhere. Hell, the mood swings haven’t even started.” She gave him an absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>filthy </span>
  </em>
  <span>look, “You do know that my sex drive can increase, too, right? The books say that happens in the second trimester.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant wrapped her arms around her and laughed. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved </span>
  </em>
  <span>the sound of that. “I don’t know much about pregnancy, Skye, but I think that sounds like you’re okay. And besides, that doctor’s coming this afternoon. We get to finally see a picture of them.” he stated, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. “Maybe we can make a trip out to a store within the next few days to buy you some new clothes so you’ll stop stealing mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if I like yours better?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I kind of need those, Skye.” Grant shot back. “We’ll go get you some clothes and whatever the doctor says that you need. You can’t take everything that I own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy shot him a mischievous grin. “Well, considering that I’m carrying </span>
  <em>
    <span>your </span>
  </em>
  <span>children, I think I have a claim in whatever you own.” she stated. She rested her head on his chest, “It’s only your shirts and boxers. It’s not like I’m stealing your pants.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You might as well be at this point.” he muttered, a finger tracing the band of her bra as his other hand was still splayed across her bump. His lips ghosted the rim of her ear, causing her to push him away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Easy there, boy.” she stated, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t think we have the time to do </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> right now. That doctor will be here soon, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not for another couple of hours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I would like to have a nice shower and feel clean. I did tell you that I threw up earlier, right?” She reached behind her and unclasped her bra, taking it and throwing it on the bed. She laughed as she watched Grant’s eyes darken with lust. “You just like the pregnancy because my boobs are getting bigger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant blushed and looked away, scratching at the back of his head, “No, it’s not… That…” His face grew bright red and Daisy was afraid that he would burst into flames.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s smile grew, “Yes, it is. I’ve already noticed them getting bigger, Grant. And you constantly have your hands all over them, so you probably noticed way before I did. And they’re just going to get bigger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant looked flushed as his gaze shot back to her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant, you do know what they’re used for, right? They’re only getting bigger because they produce </span>
  <em>
    <span>milk</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I’ll use them to </span>
  <em>
    <span>feed </span>
  </em>
  <span>the babies. Not to satisfy your dick. Even if I do love how excited they make you. You’re just </span>
  <em>
    <span>way </span>
  </em>
  <span>too horny.” She turned around in a way that purposely made her breasts move just to annoy him. “Now, I’m going to take a shower before that doctor has his hands on me. And get some clothes on for God’s sakes. Unless you want to come join me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Grant’s throat grew dry as she dropped her pants. He was left staring at her bare ass as she made her way into the bathroom. He looked down, now realizing that he was still in a towel. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah, he was absolutely and utterly fucked.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>(Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, this will be cold. Lift up your shirt for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy stared up at the doctor’s round-rimmed glasses and lifted up her shirt so her bump was visible, “How do you know Grant?” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctor, named Dr. Conwell, laughed. He was somewhere in his 50’s with salt and pepper hair. He had an unsettling look in his gray eyes, but Daisy assumed that was from years of being an underground doctor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I used to help Garrett out.” he stated, which didn’t make Daisy feel good one bit. “Garrett paid well to keep me quiet, so I kept helping. I’ve stitched up Mr. Ward quite a few times. But, I am not loyal to Hydra or to anyone. Only myself. I only went underground because it gave me more freedom to do things. To help more people. People come to me if they can’t afford treatment. I do treat criminals, only because they pay me well and keep my business going. And, yes, I have delivered quite a few babies. Now, I’m not an expert, but I know the basic development and how things should look week by week. You’re two months along, yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy nodded, “Yeah. Eight weeks.” she stated, wincing as Conwell squirted the ultrasound gel onto her abdomen. “Grant thinks it’s twins.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ward’s a man of many wonders, so it’s likely that he’s right.” The doctor took the ultrasound wand and placed it onto Daisy’s abdomen. “So, lets see if he is.” He hummed out a tune as he moved the wand around, watching the grainy images on the screen. Eventually, two distinct blobs appeared, “Ah, and correct he is!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears started to well up in the corners of Daisy’s eyes as she looked at the two shapes, “That’s our babies?” she asked. “Grant, that’s our babies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s brain felt fried for some reason, “Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Conwell moved the wand some more before letting out a sharp whistle, “And looks like you two are luckier than you thought.” He pointed at the screen with his free hand, “ See that circle around them? Like it looks like they’re in a hole?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy nodded. What did he mean by being lucky? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the placenta. Usually, children are in different placentas. But, occasionally, they’re in one if they formed from the same egg.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face went white, “Identical twins.” he stated, a crack in his voice. “Are you fucking kidding me?” He looked sick and confused at the very same time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s eyes shot to Grant before going back to the doctor, “Wait, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Great, now I’m really going to have three Wards on my hands.” she groaned. “Way to go, Ward. This is your fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Skye, we don’t know if they’re boys or not yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant, trust me, I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Conwell laughed, “Well, it’s always said that mothers know best. But, you won’t know the genders until almost six months.” He pressed a button on the machine before putting the wand away and wiping off Daisy’s abdomen. He noted how Grant’s eyes lingered on the bump. “And as far as I can tell, everything looks great.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy sat up, pulling her shirt back down, “You sure? No Eldritch horrors or anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, they look like two perfectly healthy babies. Keep up whatever you’re already doing and maybe take some prenatal supplements. But, no tentacles or anything. From what we already understand, Inhumans still develop like humans. So, fetal development should be the same. Inhumans are the closest things to humans when the gene is inactive. Terrigenesis is what turns the gene on and triggers that sudden mutation. They’re practically human as long as the gene isn’t turned on.” He started to pack up, “I’ll be back in two weeks. But, have Ward call me if you think something’s wrong.” He took two pieces of paper from the machine and handed them to Daisy. “But, everything looks great.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy stared down at the papers. Ultrasound photos. Of her children. It was still hard to wrap her head around. She wished she could show someone like Fitz or May to boast, but she couldn’t have contact with them because it could put her at risk. “Ah, thank you.” Dr. Conwell smiled in return.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant walked up beside her and looked at the photos as well, “I’ll call him Thing One and he’s Thing Two.” he said, pointing at the faint shapes. Honestly, he hadn't even begun to think about names just yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did Grant Douglas Ward just make a joke?” Daisy looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “You sure are taking the prospect of identical twins pretty well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged, “Not the worst thing to happen to me.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, “Besides, if they’re boys, they’re getting my looks. They should consider themselves lucky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy groaned and rolled her eyes, “God, you’re so full of yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotta think good about myself somehow. You-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A knock at the door pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked between Daisy and the doctor before excusing himself, a frown on his face. Grant went out into the hall to see Kebo and glared at the man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This better be good, Kebo. You know that this is important to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo handed him a file, “And this should be even more important to you. Our guy at </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hellstorm</span>
  </em>
  <span> just sent these over. He finally got into SHIELD’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Operation Assiah </span>
  </em>
  <span>files. I haven’t looked at them, but he says you need to as soon as possible. He says it’s bad. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Real </span>
  </em>
  <span>bad. I don’t know what he meant by that, though.” Grant snatched the file from him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant stared at the unopened file. He had hoped that he would have just a little bit longer before he had to worry about Coulson again. It had only been a week of silence and wanted to bask in the joys Daisy’s pregnancy gave him. But, if it was bad, he needed to deal with it sooner rather than later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He didn’t mention anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo shook his head, “He called right before sending these over. Said that it was best just to let you look at it.” he answered. “It’s probably best that you do this away from </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s eyes flickered to the closed door, hearing Daisy’s voice behind it. Kebo was right. He knew that the contents of the file would set off his explosive anger. He didn’t need Daisy around to see that. “Here, take this to my office and put it on my desk.” he stated, handing the folder back to Kebo. “I’ll wrap things up with the doctor and get Daisy back to our room. She’ll probably want to rest and read up on twins anyways, so that works out in my favor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I can’t let her see the </span>
  <em>
    <span>monster </span>
  </em>
  <span>I become.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And, surprise! It could possibly be identical twins! They've been pre-established in a previous fic, so they're no one new. But, this was the calm before the storm, as you could tell. Things are about to get rather rough. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. I'm a Liar, I'm a Cheater, I'm a Nonbeliever</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Grant finds out to just what Coulson wants.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Sometime Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, fucking Goddammit!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant flung the contents of the folder off of his desk, the papers flying in the air. He buried his head in his hands, trying to wrap his head around what he had just read. He knew that Coulson was insane, but not </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>insane.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss?” Kebo spoke up, keeping his distance from the man. “How bad is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That man is </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Grant growled. He looked up at Kebo, causing the man to step back again. His eyes were nothing but fire. No irises. No pupils. Nothing. “I want him dead! I want him burned alive!” Grant stood to his feet and brought his hands down onto his desk, cracking it in two. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo swallowed, “Sir, that’s the second desk this month…” he warned. “Watch yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant took a sharp breath and ran his hands through his hair, his eyes returning to normal. His face twisted up as he returned his wrath-filled gaze towards his second-hand. “Yes, it’s bad.” he snapped. “Coulson is sick. I know that I’m not a good man, but I would </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>do the things he wants to do. I’m to be captured and sent to the ATCU for experimentation.” he began, fire rising up his throat. “They saw the time my arm regrew and want to test that, I guess. Daisy is to be in SHIELD custody until the twins are born. And they’re then to be sent to the ATCU for the same reason. Then…” The fire rose and the Berserker Rage started to tear his stomach apart. “Coulson is going to wipe Daisy’s memory so she won’t remember me or the kids. We’ll be forgotten to her and Coulson will have his little pet back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo laughed, “And he thinks he’s a bloody hero.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He and Director Price are like this.” Grant held up a hand and crossed his fingers. “The government wants me dead, too. Coulson also thinks this is his way of getting back into good graces of the government. SHIELD and the ATCU are synonymous now, according to these files. The ATCU is now only a branch of SHIELD. The anti-Inhuman strike teams. That’s what Price runs. But…” There was a faint tremor to his body, “Coulson’s the real brains behind everything. I never took the man for someone who would hate Inhumans this much, but here we are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A frown settled onto Kebo’s face, “And he’s taking that hatred out on two children?” he asked. “Boss, you realize that this Operation Assiah shit is probably only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to horrors with this partnership, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I realize that, Kebo.” Grant’s voice was strained. The Berserker Rage was mixing with the flames hiding right underneath his skin and it was wanting to control him. “But, that is not my priority right now. Have </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hellstorm </span>
  </em>
  <span>search for blackmail. I can use that later. My own personal priority is preventing him from hurting my children. He’s already hurt Daisy by turning against her. I can’t- I can’t-” He screamed as something burned at his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His vision became cloudy as specks of red danced around. The rage crawled up his throat. He wanted Coulson dead. He wanted to pin the man down and burn him layer by layer, his screams filling his ears. He wanted to relish in Coulson’s agony. He wanted him to die as many times over as the number of men that he lost at his hands. He-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant jerked out of it, looking down to see Kebo’s hand on his arm. He blinked and looked around. The remains of his desk were ablaze. His stomach lurched. He hadn’t even noticed doing that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo frowned and stepped away, “You got lost in your head for a few good moments.” He pointed at the desk, “You went full-dragon or some shit there. You screamed and flames poured out of your mouth. I don’t think you’re in a position to be dealing with Coulson, boss. If you get </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>upset this easily, I don’t want to imagine what happens if Coulson really does do something against you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant snarled at him and ran his hands through his hair. He waved his hand, snuffing out the flames. “I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Kebo.” he stressed. “Stop worrying about me. And so what if I take that anger out on Coulson? At least he’ll be </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss, this isn’t about that. You are slowly getting worse. Whatever’s wrong with you is starting to take control of you. You-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s nothing.” Grant started to pick up the contents of the file he had scattered around the room. “It’s an old issue. I’ve dealt with this for two years now. The flames, uh, just make it worse. It’s nothing to worry about. It’s only gotten worse because Coulson’s shit has gotten personal now. I’ll be better once I deal with all of this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo didn’t believe him one bit, but decided that it was best that he didn’t question it anymore. “So, what’s your plan?” he asked. “We can’t just sit around and wait for Coulson to do something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right, that’s why I’m going to pay Rosalind Price a visit.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>What</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant paused and turned to look at Kebo with a smile, “Coulson needs to understand what’s at stake if he continues like this, right?” he questioned, his tone taking a more chilling feeling. “Price is not the one in charge of all of this. I don’t want to go directly after Coulson already. I want him to pay. I want him to </span>
  <em>
    <span>suffer</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But, going after him isn’t going to solve anything yet. I want to find out more before I do anything drastic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His smile twisted into a cruel grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see if I can make her talk.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>(Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy looked up as the door opened, a smile pulling at her lips as Grant made his way into the room. He shut the door behind him and immediately came over to her side as she placed her tablet aside. He climbed up onto the bed and loomed over her, pressing a trail of kisses down the side of her neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant…” Daisy wasn’t in the mood for this right now. She wanted to know what was going on. She had heard him scream earlier and was worried. She placed a firm hand on his chest, “Stop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant pulled his lips away from her neck and he looked down at her with a frown, “Why? I thought you liked this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I do. But, I want to talk. Now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pushed him off of her and sat up. He frowned, noticing the worried look on his face. “Grant, what’s going on?” she asked softly. “I heard you scream earlier. I… I remember that scream back from the Staff. Full of grief and rage. What the hell is going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face fell, “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong, Skye.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing’s wrong my ass, Grant.” Daisy snapped back. “I know that you were talking to Kebo. What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant turned his gaze away from her. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell her the truth yet. He didn’t want her to worry herself sick; there was no telling what that would do to the babies. Or what would happen if her powers leaked out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant.” she reached out and forced him to look at her. “It’s Coulson, isn’t it? Do not hide anything from me. If I think you are, I’ll just hack into SHIELD myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hesitated for a few seconds before answering. “Yes. It is.” he stated, his voice cracking. “My guy at another base finally sent over the Operation Assiah files. It’s… It’s bad. And I-I want to kill Coulson for it.” There was a strain to his voice and the vibrations he gave off felt sick and twisted again. He was holding back unbridled rage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mouth grew dry and she brought a hand to her abdomen, “What is he wanting to do, Grant?” she asked quietly. “And do </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>hide anything from me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ran his hands through his hair. “Price wants me and the kids for experimentation.” he began. “She wants the kids to be born so they can be studied. All the while I’m locked up in a lab somewhere. And you… Coulson’s going to put you through that TAHITI shit so you’ll forget about me and the kids and he can have his pet agent back.” There was a strained light in his eyes. “I knew that Coulson was sick. But not like this. SHIELD and the ATCU are one in the same. Now, the ATCU is just the branch of SHIELD responsible for Inhumans. Coulson’s the main mastermind behind whatever’s happening to Inhumans now. Price still makes the decisions regarding the Inhumans, but Coulson...” He didn’t finish. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bile rose up Daisy’s throat and the room started to spin around her. The all-too-familiar buzz started to accumulate in her bones. She would’ve never thought in a million years that Coulson would be capable of doing shit like this. She would’ve never taken him for someone so cruel and sadistic. Someone worse than Grant ever was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And if Coulson succeeded, she would be a brainwashed puppet while the kids and their father were being endlessly experimented on. She felt the tears building up and she knew that there was nothing she could do to stop them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I once… I once loved him like a father, Grant.” Daisy sobbed, a visible shake to her body. Grant immediately took her into his arms as she started to unravel. “My own father never worked out. I hoped that h-he would keep his senses and maybe he would be like a grandpa to them. But, he let his hatred of you ruin that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant shook his head, gently massaging circles into her back to keep her calm as she fell apart. The room trembled slightly, her powers overcoming the inhibitors. “This is more than hatred of me, Skye.” he whispered. “Coulson’s an evil and sadistic man. Don’t dwell on what he destroyed. I’ll put a stop to him and Price. I promise.” He tried to let his unnatural heat soothe her, “It’s okay to cry, baby. It’s okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant felt the murderous Berserker rage seep into every bone in his body as Daisy fell apart in his arms. Funny how Coulson turned out for her like Garrett had for him, and that just made things worse. That only made his rage grow darker and more vicious. He continued to try and soothe her as he started to lose his grip on his own nerves. And he made a silent vow to himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no way in hell that he would let Phil Coulson live another day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That man would be ash beneath his boot before he let him touch Daisy or their children.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Coulson wanted a war, then by God Grant was going to give him one.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And here is where things are going to get dark. Grant's rage grows as Coulson's desperation deepens. It isn't going to be pretty at times. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Obliterates, Annihilates, Disintegrates</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Grant starts to fall.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Three Days Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, Phil. How do you think we should draw him out?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ward’s a complicated man, Roz. There’s no use in searching for him. If he wants to stay hidden, he’ll stay hidden. I don’t know. Hell, attacking the Dreadnaught base wasn’t enough to draw him out. We’ll have to do something more dire. More important to him. We’ll just have to keep digging up locations for his bases. I don’t know how many of them he has.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t keep searching, Phil. I have the government breathing down my neck wanting me to bring him in.” Rosaline pursed her lips. “I told them that the ATCU is now SHIELD’s responsibility. It was a condition of SHIELD’s legitization. I’m surprised that they’re not biting at you to bring you in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It is your responsibility to ensure that troublesome Inhumans are brought in, Roz. I just put the overall plan together. It is your responsibility to see that it goes through.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but it’s-” The phone started screeching in her ear. “Phil? Can you hear me?” She frowned and hung up the phone. The line had died.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry to break up your little chat with your fuck toy, Rosalind. But, we need to talk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rosalind shot to her feet, spinning to see none other than Grant Ward standing in the room, the door closed behind her. She noticed that the lock had been melted. “Director. What… What are you doing here?” She started to reach for the phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant smiled, taking a step towards her, “I’m flattered that you’re using honorifics.” His eyes shot to her hand, “That’s not going to work. My men have disrupted your communications. Security is on a loop. No one will ever know what’s going on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She swallowed and drew back her hand, “What do you want?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant walked up to one of the chairs in front of her desk and sat down. He leaned back, putting his feet up on her desk. “I just want to talk.” He motioned with his hand, “Sit down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rosalind eyed him, “I don’t think this is ‘just to talk’, Ward.” she stated coldly, not sitting down. “What do you want?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A cruel smirk pulled at Grant’s lips, “Consider this a warning. I know that Coulson’s the true mastermind behind everything. I want him to know the consequences of messing with me.” he stated, looking at her over his boots. “I know about Operation Assiah. I know about Coulson’s cruel plan to give me and my child over to you and to wipe everything from Daisy.” He didn’t mention more than one child. She didn’t need to know that Daisy was actually carrying identical twins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her face fell, “I don’t get what you’re getting at, Ward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant cocked his head and let his feet drop to the floor, a bloodlust-filled gaze settling into his eyes. “You know very well of what I’m capable of. You've seen me tear SHIELD teams apart without even breaking a sweat. Imagine what I could do to you. I know that Coulson and you are fucking or something.” He spread out his hands, “He’s trying to tear my girl away from me and I’ll do the same to him if he doesn’t stop.” His smile grew as he saw the fear settle into Rosalind’s eyes, “You’re not a fighter. You’re just a government official. I could tear you apart in seconds without even batting an eye. You don’t want to know what will happen to you if Coulson doesn’t leave me alone. You can take and kill my men, but if you take my child away from me…” He laughed darkly as he stood to his feet, “You don’t want to know what I’ll become.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rosalind smiled, staring him down, “And that’s the problem with you, Ward. You’re a monster.” she stated matter-of-factly. “You’re wanted by just about every government agency. You’re a terrorist and a murderer. You are to be dealt with. You and your child present an excellent opportunity to study Inhuman biology.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face fell, “I understand that I am not a good man. Nothing I can do will never erase the things that I’ve done.” he stated coldly. “But, that does not give anyone permission to rip my unborn child away from me and its mother and wipe the mother’s memory of me and the child. I don’t care what you do to me. But, touching my child or Daisy is completely off the fucking table.” he growled, an eerie light settling into his eyes. “My child is not a damn science experiment. It is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>child</span>
  </em>
  <span>. They are not responsible for my sins.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A strange light danced in Rosalind’s eyes. “And how does a man like you expect to raise a decent member of society?” she asked. “Monsters beget monsters. A cruel, murderous man like you will only create a similar monster. You are a devil, Ward. There’s a reason why Coulson calls that child hellspawn. You-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rosalind was cut off as Grant was suddenly next to her, her arm in his vice-like grip. A murderous rage flickered in his eyes. “My child is not hellspawn.” he growled, his hand starting to heat up. “Coulson needs to stop that shit. If he wants you alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rosalind screamed out as flames suddenly engulfed her arm, burning the arm of her suit jacket away and causing the skin to start to bubble. She fell to the ground as Grant loomed over her, a demonic red light in his eyes. “You keep this shit up, a third degree burn will be the least of your problems. Leave Daisy and our child alone.” He clenched his fist and the flames burnt away, leaving behind charred, blistered skin. He smiled, “God, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> that smell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And just like that, Grant was gone as fast as he had appeared, a trail of cinders in his wake. Rosalind gritted her teeth through the burning pain, knowing that there was no help for her arm. She knew that it was irreparable. She pulled a phone out of her jacket with her free hand and pressed the single contact that it held. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Phil, we have a problem.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>(Elsewhere)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t kill her, did you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant glowered at her, “No, I didn’t. I just did enough to send a message to Coulson.” he stated, snaking an arm around her waist and drawing her close. “To make it clear that he needs to stay away from you and the kids. She’ll be fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honestly, I don’t want to know what you did, but I don’t care as long as no one’s dead, Grant.” Heat pooled between her thighs as Grant’s hand splayed across the gentle swell of her abdomen. She knew that this was Grant’s way of distracting her from everything that was going wrong. Now, she really wasn’t complaining, but they really needed to find a different way to deal with things other than with sex. Well, it didn’t help that pregnancy hormones were starting to make her horny. And Grant was just horny for her in general.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She might not be able to use her arm, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy pushed him away, leaving him with a dazed and confused look. A scowl was on her face. “Grant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? You said that you didn’t care what I did to her as long as she wasn’t dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy sighed, crossing her arms, “Grant… This isn’t about her. It’s about what you’re willing to do in order to protect me.” she stated. “I don’t think I want to know how far you’ll go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant frowned, “Daisy, she wants me and our children in a fucking lab. I think hurting her fucking arm is the last of our worries.” he stated coldly. “Better her arm than our children.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I don’t much care what happens to her at this point, Grant, but… But, I don’t want you proving them right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right about what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They think you’re a monster and you’re slowly proving just that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face fell, a twitch in his lips, “What are you saying, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Daisy</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” he growled. “Do you think I’m a monster?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honestly, I sometimes do, Grant. There’s something going on with you and you won’t tell me what’s wrong.” she stated, not backing down. “And it’s slowly getting worse, baby. I just want to know what’s wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant clenched his fists, “There is nothing wrong with me, Skye.” he hissed, the twisted vibrations coming back. “I’m just pissed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not it, Grant….” She took a step towards him. There was no anger on her face. Only pure concern. “Grant, I’ve heard what happens to you in battle. The way you lose yourself. You become some cruel, sadistic monster. Something’s wrong. That’s not you, Grant. It reminds me of </span>
  <em>
    <span>then</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” By ‘then’, she meant the Berserker Staff. “Grant, please don’t hide anything from me. You are the father of my children. I want you in my life. I don’t want to lose you because you’re too stubborn to admit that something’s wrong.” She approached him and took his hand, causing him to freeze up. “Grant, you can tell me. I know that you probably don’t want me to worry, but it only makes me worry more when you don’t tell me anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The rage.” he croaked, knowing that he couldn’t hide it any longer. “It’s back. It mixes with my powers and creates a monster. It takes me over and I lose a hold on reality. It creates a monster fueled by bloodlust and the need to destroy. The need to kill. The need to ensure that I’m the last one standing.” He looked into her eyes and the rage in his subsided and melted away, replaced by pure and utter sorrow. “It’s gotten worse now that you’re in the picture. I want to protect you, Skye. I want to protect our children and it… It makes the rage worse. There are times when I want to destroy everything around me to the point where we’re the only ones left. To make sure that no one hurts you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s taking everything away from me.” he continued. “He’s killing and capturing my men. He wants my children dead and for you to forget about everything. The rage is getting worse and worse and I’m soon afraid that it’ll consume me if Coulson does the wrong thing. I don’t want you to see that monster, Skye. I didn’t want you to become afraid of me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant…” Daisy brought a hand to his bearded cheek. “I will </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>be afraid of you again. I’m afraid </span>
  <em>
    <span>for </span>
  </em>
  <span>you. I don’t want you to hurt yourself trying to protect us. You don’t have to shoulder this burden alone. Let me help in any way I can. I’m not useless.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant lowered his head to where they were touching foreheads, “I don’t want to lose you, Skye. I don’t want to lose my children before I even get to meet them. That is what’s eating me up inside, making that rage worse. I don’t want to lose anyone else.” he muttered. “If something happens to you, I don’t know what I’ll become.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we’ll stop Coulson before he has the chance to hurt us, Grant.” she said, holding his head between her hands and staring into his eyes. “We’ll stop him before you have the chance to become the monster you fear you’re becoming. I won’t let that happen, baby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want you getting hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant, I’ll be fine. But, let me help. Please.” She kissed him ever so gently. “You’re only going to get hurt if you don’t let someone else help. I want you here and alive for our kids.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You don’t have to do this alone.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And so it gets darker. Grant sends a warning to Coulson via Rosalind. And Daisy gets him to admit his problems and begs him to let her help before it's too late. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. It's the Parasite Eve</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Daisy thinks about things.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(That Night)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy stared up at the ceiling, Grant’s arms wrapped around her as he mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep. She mulled over her options of how she could help Grant with things. Now, she couldn’t fight since she was afraid that her powers would hurt the twins. Grant was afraid of letting her hack SHIELD/ATCU files in case something went wrong and it blew their location. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wondered if there was something she could do </span>
  <em>
    <span>inside </span>
  </em>
  <span>of SHIELD. Perhaps she could contact Fitz. She still had the engineer’s contact. Maybe he could get her in contact with May. May was still Coulson’s right-hand as far as she knew. But, May was also not on Coulson’s side. Perhaps May could act as their agent on the inside, feeding information about Coulson back to them. Hopefully so they could stay one step ahead of the madman. Grant had mentioned something earlier about trying to find the ATCU base where his men were being held. Maybe May knew something about that as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No matter the route they took, Daisy had to make sure that Grant didn’t lose himself. Now that she knew the Berserker Rage </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>back and was getting worse by the day, she worried. If he lost himself in battle, there was no telling of what he would become if pushed over the edge enough. What would become of him if Coulson did manage to get his hands on her? She felt sick at the thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even though she loved him with every fiber of her body, he worried her. His issues made her worry for their children. Could his issues be passed onto them? She didn’t want them to suffer like he was. And she didn’t want to lose him to the monster he feared that he was becoming. But, she knew that he had vowed to do whatever it took to stop Coulson and Price. Her and the twins’ lives were far more important to him than anyone else’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant would gladly burn the world down before he let anyone touch her or the twins and that’s what worried her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How far would he go to protect them? What kind of atrocities would he be willing to commit just to protect them? Grant’s moral compass was so skewed by Garrett’s control that Daisy was afraid that nothing was out of the question. Coulson had already angered Grant by murdering and capturing his men, now his own children were at stake. And that was so much more personal to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant felt as though he was losing </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything </span>
  </em>
  <span>to Coulson. To him, it had started when Coulson had vowed to find every way possible to try and ruin his life. And he had definitely kept his word. Grant constantly lost men to Coulson and now the mad man was wanting his own children. It was no surprise that he was starting to completely lose it. Coulson was testing his patience and it was wearing thin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was only a matter of time before Grant completely snapped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, truly, Daisy didn’t want to think about that right now. Her hand had drifted to the gentle swell of her abdomen. Its size hadn’t really changed, but she still feared how big she would get since she was carrying twins. And it wasn’t like their father was small. Grant was a looming giant and she feared both of the twins would take after his height. She knew that she would be one of those women whose belly protruded like a foot in front of her. She was really starting to consider actually calling them Grant’s hellspawn as a joke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked down to her belly. “Can’t believe all the trouble you’re already causing me, little dudes.” she whispered, hoping that Grant wouldn’t wake up. “You’re not even born yet and the government hates you and sees you as a science experiment. Wonder what kind of trouble you’ll cause me as teenagers.” She laughed softly. “If you get to be that old. But, don’t worry. I won’t let anyone touch you. Your father won’t either. I know that much. He’ll destroy the world before he lets anything happen to the two of you. He may not be the greatest of people, but you’re lucky to have him as a father. He may not look like it, but he’s definitely the doting type. He already loves you with every fiber of his body.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if on cue, Grant mumbled in his sleep and shifted his body. His hand moved to her abdomen as he, somehow, managed to get even closer to her. She smiled. Even in his sleep, he tried to protect her and the kids. But, still, that made her worry. He may be calm now, but what about later? What would happen if Coulson did make his move?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What would Grant be willing to do in order to protect his own flesh and blood?</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>(Elsewhere)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s eyes flickered to the heavy bandaging around Rosalind’s arm. He had been called to the infirmary at the ATCU’s headquarters after a particular </span>
  <em>
    <span>someone </span>
  </em>
  <span>had brutally attacked Rosalind, leaving her with severe third degree burns on her left arm. Possibly beyond repair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s fucking insane, Roz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rosalind let out a weak laugh, feeling the pain meds starting to drag her under, “That’s quite an understatement.” Her eyes drifted down to her now-ruined arm, “If he wanted to make a statement, then he definitely made one. Phil, he’s threatened to kill me if we don’t back off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then, that’s just another reason to bring him in, right?” Coulson glowered, the rage in his chest growing. “We can’t just sit around and let him destroy everything that we’ve built.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, you know that Ward is more than just idle threats. He will most likely act upon his threat if we don’t do this the right way. We have to find a way to draw him out. Draw him away from Agent Johnson and that hellspawn child.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Speaking of that.” A smile pulled at Coulson’s lips. “We’ve located one of Ward’s men, if you will. A doctor. He says that he’s willing to help if we offer him the right amount of money.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rosalind rose an eyebrow, “What kind of doctor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Some underground guy. But, according to him, he’s responsible for Daisy’s baby check-ups or whatever. He won’t say much more until we pay him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It could be a trap.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson shrugged, “It’s a risk worth taking. If he really is who he says he is, he can leak us the information of where Ward’s main base is.” he stated. “We can ambush the base and get what we want this time around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still, attacking Ward right at the heart of things is risky.” Rosalind countered. “That’s where the brunt of his force is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The doctor could let us know of an appointment. Think, if Ward’s too busy focusing on Daisy and their child, he won’t see it coming.” Coulson explained. “We attack the base. And we go in and grab Daisy while Ward’s distracted.” He frowned, “And you do have the formula I sent you from Campbell, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ward’s metabolism may be too fast for the nullifying formula, Phil. It may only render him powerless for just a few minutes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we do what we need to do in those few minutes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is very ambitious, Phil.” Rosalind stated. “We can’t risk Ward losing it. He all but destroyed my arm in a matter of seconds. But, if we fuck this up and he loses it as we’re trying to capture Agent Johnson… You might as well say goodbye to the strike team. Your best bet is to render him powerless and knock him out with one of those dendrotoxin grenades, Phil. Still, it’s very risky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, if it works, I’ll have Daisy and you’ll have Ward. You’ll just have to find a way to keep Ward subdued until that child is born.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rosalind closed her eyes, “I’m starting to believe that’ll be impossible.” she muttered. “Don’t be surprised if I end up dead if this all goes wrong, Phil. Ward’s made it clear that no one’s to touch Johnson or that wretched child. He knows about Operation Assiah. He even knows about </span>
  <em>
    <span>us</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He knows a lot more than he’s putting on. And that worries me. If you want to go ahead and jumpstart the Operation, then you better do it soon. Before he has the chance to know that we’re about to strike.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sly smile pulled at Coulson’s lips, “I’ll talk to the doctor again, see when the next appointment is. Hopefully, it’s soon.” he stated. “You don’t have to lift a finger. I’ll coordinate the strike team. I’ll go ahead and start getting things together and as soon as I know the date, I’ll send the team Ward’s way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s about time this ends. Ward can no longer have the run of things anymore. I’ll make sure things go the way that we planned.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, a warning of things to come. And it seems like Daisy was right about not wanting to trust the doctor, who is clearly just in it for the money. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. From the War that is Raging</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things grow...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Three Days Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we should contact Fitz or May.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face fell, “No, we are </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>contacting anyone within SHIELD.” he growled, his eyes flaring ever so slightly. “It’s too risky, Skye.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant, those two helped me get out of there.” Daisy shot back. “You can trust them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One, I don’t trust May with my life. She’s the one that almost robbed me of my voice, remember?” A muscle in Grant’s face twitched in annoyance. “Two, even if you do trust them, do you really want to put them at risk like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy frowned, “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re implying that you want them as inside men.” Grant stated. “If Coulson is really as insane as he seems, he wouldn’t hesitate trying to retaliate against them if he found out.” He shook his head, “I don’t want anyone else getting hurt because of us, Skye. It’s best that we don’t contact them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, still, it would be nice to have someone on the inside that we can trust.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant took a step towards Daisy, putting a hand onto the gentle swell of her abdomen, “Daisy, I know that you care about them.” he began. “So, you have to understand why I don’t want you to contact them. We can’t put them at risk. I’m still having my men at </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hellstorm</span>
  </em>
  <span> keeping an eye on comms. All we know is that Coulson paid a visit to Price at an ATCU infirmary a few days ago. Coulson seems to be keeping everything strictly between him and Price.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy looked away from him, not really sure of what to say. Maybe he was right. Maybe contacting May or Fitz would only put them in trouble if Coulson happened to find out. They had to stay radio silent to protect them. Daisy wouldn’t be able to live with herself if they got hurt because of her and Grant. Truly, they were on their own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then, what are we supposed to do, Grant?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unfortunately, we have to wait.” he stated, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “I have no idea of where the ATCU actually works from. And attacking SHIELD isn’t ideal. It’ll probably only make things worse, if I’m being honest. I don’t want to make this any messier than it already is. But, my first move is to find my men. We still haven’t been able to pinpoint where they are. But, as soon as we do, I’ll strike. I need to bring my men home before it’s too late. If it isn’t already too late.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant, don’t do this to yourself. It’s not your fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In a way… It is.” Grant stepped away from her as his shoulders started to sag with the weight of the world. “I was responsible for them. I wasn’t there. I couldn’t do anything. So, it’s my responsibility to bring them home. No matter what.” His voice was low and cracked with grief, “I can’t keep losing people to him. This has to end. But, I want to do it right so no one else gets hurt, Skye.” He looked her dead in these eyes, “Surely you understand, right?’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy frowned and sighed, “Yeah, I do.” she replied. She truly hurt for him. Yes, he wasn’t the greatest of people and had done his fair share of evils, but he still cared. That was always the problem. He cared too much. He felt too much. Grant was unable to properly handle his emotions and his rage often got a hold of him, making him do things that he would later regret. But, he wasn’t the cruel and heartless bastard many had made him out to be. He only seemed that way if he hated you. And Grant had a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot </span>
  </em>
  <span>of enemies. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, Grant, don’t go too far in trying to get them back, okay?” she whispered, leaning her head up against his firm chest. “I can’t lose you like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant gently shook his head, “I am planning this out carefully, Skye.” he answered. “If I do anything rash, it might end with their deaths. I can’t do anything without a plan.” He lowered his head and kissed the top of her head, “And, besides, don’t worry about it. You have better things to worry about. You have that appointment in two days, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just had an appointment last week, Grant. I think I’m fine. Besides, I think appointments are every couple of weeks at the stage I’m at. I’m only nine weeks pregnant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can never be too careful, Skye. Especially with our situation. You’re under a lot of stress. Besides, I talked to the doctor. We both agreed that he comes about every week or so just to make sure that things are going well.” Grant explained. “Stress isn’t good for developing babies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy pursed her lips, “Yeah. I guess you’re right. It doesn’t hurt just to be sure.” she replied. She shifted uncomfortably and felt yet another bathroom trip coming on. “And besides, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>need to piss.” She turned around, a hand on the gentle swell of her baby. “And, God. I’m not that big yet. I’m not ready to be waddling around looking like some kind of whale. This is your fault, Grant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant chuckled as he followed her out of his office and back towards their room. “You say it like it’s a bad thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re the one that fucked me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought it was the other way around. Because you definitely were the one that incited it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy stopped and turned around, raising an eyebrow at him, “Oh, really? I think I recall you kissing me first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I think your pregnancy brain is acting up ‘cause you definitely kissed me first.” A sly smile pulled at Grant’s lips. “You pulled me into that closet, remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you thinking with your dick at the time made you forget things, Grant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s just say we both forgot things, okay?” Grant walked over to her and slipped an arm around her waist and drew her close. “Honestly, I think all that matters is that you love me again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy wrinkled her nose and gave him a playful punch on the arm. “God, you’re such a sap. And you need to move.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because if you don’t let me go soon, I’m just going to piss on your feet. Move!”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>(Elsewhere)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fitz, I want to talk to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz looked up with a yelp, dropping the tool that he had in his hands as he saw May standing in the doorway of the lab. “May!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked around the lab, “Simmons isn’t with you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz scowled, “She’s never with me anymore. She’s too far up Lincoln’s bloody ass.” he grumbled. “They’ve been constantly working together on something. Morse, too. I don’t dare ever approach them anymore. Not since they did what they did to Daisy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May nodded and walked towards the engineer, “That’s understandable.” she stated. “Where’s Mack?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Somewhere with Elena. I don’t know. I don’t pay attention anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. Then we can talk alone.” She walked back to the lab door and shut it. “I put the security feed of you working on a loop. Coulson’s not here right now, but I don’t want to risk it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz frowned, “What are you talking about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t want you to pull you into this just yet, Fitz. I’ve been debating about this for over two weeks. But since Coulson’s been with Price more and more, you need to know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know what Coulson intends on doing with Ward and Daisy.” May answered, giving another double-take behind her shoulder as she reapproached Fitz. “I overheard him 2 weeks ago on a phone call with Rosalind Price.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s bad, isn’t it?” Fitz asked, unmoving. Honestly, he already knew the answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably worse than what you are thinking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “So why tell me now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because Coulson’s getting more and more involved with Price and I need to do something before it’s too late. Coulson… He wants Ward captured and permanently in an ATCU lab. Price wants Coulson to keep the child alive long enough for it to be born. So he can hand it over to her as a science experiment. Then… Then I think he’s going to put Daisy through TAHITI to make her forget all about Ward and the child.” May sighed and looked around again. “He’s gone insane, Fitz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz blinked, not really sure of what to say in response. Honestly, it was worse than what he was actually expecting. He wasn’t surprised of what would happen to Ward, but handing over an innocent child for experimentation and wiping the mother’s memory was beyond sick. It was vile. Was Simmons in on it? Or was it just between Coulson and Price?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is… Is Jemma a part of it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May shrugged, “I don’t know. I don’t know much. I’ve been trying to lay low because I don’t know what Coulson will do if he finds out I’ve been snooping around.” she explained. “I told you this because I thought that you deserved to know. I kept Mack out of the loop because of Elena. I can’t put her at more of a risk than she already is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then… Then what do we do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To be honest, I don’t know. Coulson hasn’t told me anything for a couple of weeks now. I don’t know how close he is to enacting this plan of his. I don’t even know if Ward and Daisy know anything. We need to find a way to contact them. That’s where you come in. do you think that you can do it, Fitz?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz pursed his lips, “Probably. But, you’ll have to give me some time. And I don’t know how much time that we have to do so.” he replied. But, I can try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May nodded, “Good. We need to let them know what’s going on before it’s too late.” she stated. “They can at least try to prepare themselves before something happens. The problem is, I don’t know how Coulson plans on acting on this plan. He probably has a more concrete plan somewhere, but I don’t want to risk anyone here by trying to find it. Coulson isn’t the man he once was and I don’t know what he would be willing to do in order to cover his tracks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you really think this is all because he hates Ward?” Fitz asked, his stomach churning. “This all seems a little much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I think his hatred of Ward is only a small part of it. Coulson’s afraid of that child because it’s fully Inhuman and we haven’t dealt with anything like that yet.” May replied. “But, I know that Daisy will not let that child become a monster. She will not let it become like its father. I know that for a fact. Coulson’s afraid of it because it’s Inhuman and he doesn’t like the Inhumans. See how he treated Daisy once she chose her own child over him? That was hidden hatred of her. I think that’s been there ever since we found out she was an 084. Hell, Coulson’s hated anything alien-related since Loki killed him. But, he’s taking that hatred out on the wrong people. It may be Grant Ward’s child, but that doesn’t mean they deserve to be treated like such.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz turned away, “I’ll see if I can contact Daisy somehow. She probably hasn’t fully disconnected herself from SHIELD servers just yet.” he stated. “I’ll let you know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May nodded once more and started to walk away. “Good.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A gnawing fear started to settle in deep within her stomach. A part of her knew that this wouldn’t help. She just wanted to do </span>
  <em>
    <span>something </span>
  </em>
  <span>for Daisy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, truly, she feared that they were far too late.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, I will say that the next chapter is where things really start to hit the fan. Just warning y'all now. We're gonna start getting into the meat of things now. Any guesses of what's to come? Throw your guesses my way! Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. I Get Closer to the Grave</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The end comes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(The Next Day, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Gehenna</span>
  </em>
  <span>)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s eyes settled onto the exposed skin of Daisy’s abdomen as Doctor Conwell placed the ultrasound wand away. He still couldn’t get over the sight of that gentle swell. Even if Daisy claimed that she was getting fat, he would always believe that she looked absolutely beautiful. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, they still look good.” the doctor stated. “So, everything’s going great.” He turned back to his briefcase and opened it. “But, I would like to get a few blood samples that I can analyze back at my office to make sure your different hormone levels and such are where they should be.” He pulled out a set of syringes. Grant eyed the syringes carefully. He hated needles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those look sharp.” he stated. “I don’t like them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy rolled her eyes, “Grant, I’ll be fine.” she stated as Grant suddenly materialized right next to her. “I’ve been shot with bullets before. I think I can handle a few needles.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Conwell laughed, holding the needle up to the light and gave it a few flicks. Grant’s stomach dropped as the doctor approached them. Wait, why was there liquid in the syringe? He was supposed to be drawing blood, not administering anything. Something was wrong. “Wait, what is that? You were-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant felt a lance of pain in his arm. He looked down to see the needle buried deep in his forearm, the contents of the syringe emptied. His face twisted up into a snarl and he lurched forward towards the doctor, but swayed on his feet and fell to the ground as his world started to spin around and around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You let her cloud your senses, Ward. I was expecting that you would react before I did anything.” the doctor laughed. “You’re truly pathetic, I guess. You're not the scary, invincible Inhuman you think you are."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant!” Daisy screamed and thrusted her hand out towards the doctor, but no tremors came. She forgot. This part of the base had inhibitors. She sat up and launched herself towards the doctor, grabbing him by the neck. “What the hell did you do?! I knew that I couldn’t trust you! I knew that you smelled rotten!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Conwell smiled, looking right into her eyes, “He’ll be fine. It’s a power inhibitor dendrotoxin mix. Potent enough to stop someone like him for about 15 minutes. But, he’s really off his game when it comes to you. I’m surprised that he didn’t notice what I was doing.” he stated. “I have someone who is paying me well.” He reached and grabbed a different syringe and stabbed it into Daisy’s bicep before she could react, letting her fall to the ground. “This is only a sedative. Not like what I injected him with. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt the baby. But, I cannot say for sure what will happen now. This is out of my control.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s vision was growing blurry. He reached out to Daisy as she fell to the ground. “Fuck you…” he slurred. “I’ll kill you. For betraying…. Me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Conwell’s smile grew and he walked over to Grant, kicking the man’s side. “I didn’t betray you.” he stated. “Someone just offered me more money.” He pulled out a phone and spoke into it. “We’re ready. Ward’s out and so is the girl.” He stashed the phone, smiling down at Grant as he started to fall into unconsciousness. “I’m not in this game to help people like I said before. It’s a money game to me, Ward. You wouldn’t believe what people would pay to get treatment done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walked out, leaving the two on the ground. Rage started to accumulate in Grant’s chest, but he found that he couldn’t move. Coulson. The doctor had been working with Coulson. He wanted to hunt the doctor down and burn him until there was absolutely nothing left of him. Coulson was prepared. He had found a way to render Grant useless for a time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant stared at Daisy’s now-unconscious body, trying to fight back unconsciousness himself. “Skye…” he slurred. A boom sounded out, shaking the building to its core. Time started to slip away from him. Things felt like they were crawling around him as he tried to pull himself to Daisy’s side. He heard shouts in the distance. Or were they nearby? He didn’t know. He couldn’t tell. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A boot suddenly appeared in his vision right in front of him and he strained to look up to see an ATCU agent aiming a gun right at his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t shoot him.” someone called, the voice echoing around in his aching head. “Place the inhibitor cuffs on the both of them. Use extra force on him, though. We don’t have much time until the serum starts to wear off. We can’t let that happen. Ward’s a monster. He’ll kill us if we’re not careful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant suddenly found himself staring into Coulson’s eyes as the man was crouched in front of him, a sly smile on his face. Grant tried to scream, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t even lift his head. Coulson laughed and reached out, pulling Grant’s head up by his hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You make it really hard to find you, Ward.” he laughed. “But, anyone will cooperate given the right amount of money.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck…. You…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson smiled and forced Grant to look at Daisy as a few ATCU agents started to collect her. “You better say your goodbyes, Ward. Because this is the last time you’ll ever see her. She won’t even remember who the hell you are soon enough.” he explained. He looked up at another agent, “You know what? Give him another dose of that serum. We can’t be </span>
  <em>
    <span>too </span>
  </em>
  <span>careful.” He looked back to Grant, “I’m sorry, Ward. But, you forced my hand. I had to act. You’ll be locked up in a lab for the rest of your life like the abomination you are. Where you can’t hurt anyone anymore. The same with that kid of yours. And Daisy won’t remember a damn thing about it. I’m taking her back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson dropped Grant’s head with a laugh and stood to his feet, motioning with his robotic hand. “Cuff him and take him to the transport. I’ll tell Price I have a present headed her way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the last thing Grant saw before something pierced the nape of his neck and he was fully pulled into unconsciousness was the ATCU agents dragging Daisy away, her head lolled to the side. But, he knew one thing for sure as darkness overcame him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson had awoken the devil and nothing would stand between the two of them. </span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>(Elsewhere)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… You have Ward?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson smiled and looked over to May, who was standing in front of his desk with a horrified expression on her face, “Yes, things went smoothly.” he answered, unaware of May’s true intentions. She had tried her best to look like she was still loyal to Coulson. “And don’t worry, Daisy’s safe in a containment cell here just in case.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then where’s Ward?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Handed over to the ATCU like the government wanted. He’s out of our hands now.” he answered. “We won’t have to deal with him anymore. I might send you over there to check on things, though. Maybe in a few days when I make sure that things are okay.” He raised an eyebrow, “I can trust you with that, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May swallowed and nodded, “Yes.” she stated, lying straight through her teeth. But, Coulson would never know the difference. He still didn’t know that she had helped Daisy run to Grant.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m too late.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Fitz didn’t even get a chance to find a way to contact her. Now she’s here. I need to find a way to talk to her. I wonder if she knows what Coulson’s got planned for her. I can talk to Ward when Coulson sends me to that ATCU base in a few days. If he’s not slipped by then. Ward’s going to go insane when he realizes what happened.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what about the child?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Simmons checked her out, keeping her unconscious, of course.” Coulson’s face was hard and stern. “It’s not just one child. It’s two. Twins. Identical most likely.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May felt sick. She knew that this would make matters worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Since Ward’s out of the way, why can’t Daisy be allowed to raise those children, then?” May asked, keeping up the facade. “If he can’t get his hands on them, then that decreases the risk of them turning out like him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson shook his head, “No, this makes things worse, May.” he answered. “Two purely Inhuman children is bad. But, do you know what Agent Campbell told me yesterday? He thinks that Ward’s purely Inhuman as well. That’s why he’s so strong. A god almost. But, he’s unstable because he was never stabilized or whatever. He thinks that’ll only make the children stronger. We’ll find a way to deal with them sooner or later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s… Unexpected.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it is. It throws a wrench in things. But, Ward’s no longer my concern, May. He’s in ATCU hands now. I’ll let you know when I want you to go to their </span>
  <em>
    <span>Titan </span>
  </em>
  <span>base. It’s where Ward and many of his men are being held.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May gave him a curt nod before turning to leave, but Coulson stopped her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, and, May?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at him, an eyebrow raised. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You still are on my side with this, right? I know that the child situation isn’t quite ideal, but as long as Ward’s dealt with, right? I can trust you, can I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May feigned a tight smile and nodded, knowing that she had to act. Now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Phil, of course you can trust me.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And so we get to the 2nd part of the story. I will warn y'all it's pretty much nonstop for the next while. More heroes will rise while the villains just get worse. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. I Hear the Cry, the Helpless Lie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Grant starts to blame himself.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Sometime Later, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Titan </span>
  </em>
  <span>Base)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant pounded on the alloyed metal of the cell, finding that he couldn’t even put a dent in it. There must’ve been high-end inhibitors in the cell, rendering him utterly useless. His strength came from his flames. Without his flames, his superstrength was normal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t believe that he had been so damn stupid. How hadn’t he noticed what Conwell was doing? That slip-up had cost him everything. How many men had he lost? What had happened to </span>
  <em>
    <span>Gehenna</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Kebo? He could count on Daisy being alive, but not her memory. Grant wasn’t sure of when Coulson would erase Daisy’s memory. He didn’t know how much time he had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But one thing was for sure, he wanted Coulson dead. He wanted to burn him alive, watching him die as he screamed out in agony. But, he had no idea of how to get out of here if he was powerless. Hell, he was still fighting off the effects of whatever drug Conwell had injected him with. He wanted to raze this place to the ground. Leave no one alive. Tear everything down that stood between him and Daisy. He couldn’t let her get hurt. He couldn’t let the twins get hurt. All because he was stupid enough to trust that doctor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He still couldn’t figure out how Coulson had figured out about Conwell. Unless the doctor had gone to him first. At this point, Grant didn’t care how it had happened, he just wanted Conwell dead for what had happened. He wanted everyone to pay for tearing his family away from him. And if he got his way, no one would be left standing. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t think that Coulson even realizes what he’s done.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Grant thought, staring at the alloyed metal of the cell. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I will find my way out of here. I will find Daisy. And I will find that self-righteous bastard and tear him limb from limb and will turn what’s left of him into a human bonfire. Daisy means too much for me to let Coulson tear this all apart. I don’t know how much I lost. Gehenna’s probably a lost cause. I hope that Kebo got the hell out of there and got what he could before things were destroyed.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s wrath was burning deep within his chest, but he knew that this cell had been built specifically for him. The ATCU had been studying him ever since he had gotten his powers. There was no way that he was getting out of this cell unless that door was opened from the outside. And he knew that there was no way that was going to happen either.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This is my fault.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought, weariness starting to settle into his bones. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I should’ve turned her away. I got her tangled up in a war that she doesn’t deserve.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He frowned, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“No, she ran to be because she felt unsafe at SHIELD. She had no other place to go and her being on her own isn’t a good idea. But… I should’ve noticed what that scumbag of a doctor was doing. I trusted him. But… I guess that money would turn most people into traitors. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Daisy ran to me because I was the one person she thought that she would be the safest with. I’m the father of her children and the man she loves. She trusted me to keep her safe from Coulson. And I failed her. I let that doctor slip through my fingers. I should’ve realized what he was doing. I’m better than that. I’m better than human. I should’ve realized way before he moved. But… I didn’t. I was too caught up in the moment. Too caught up with seeing my children. I let myself get distracted and now I may never get to see them again. My children will be taken away from me and she won’t remember me. I should be better.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A snarl pulled his lips apart and he swung his fist into the metal of the cell, making the smallest of dents. He still had no clue how they had been able to contain him and his anger. He should’ve been able to raze this place to the ground and now he was reduced to a mere naked human. Powerless and weak. He had fought so long to gain the power he needed to no longer be weak. Garrett had pounded the distaste of weakness into his head for years. Now that he had the power, he had let it slip away from him. He had to find a way to get out of the cell before it was too late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t know how long he had until Coulson moved against Daisy. And, honestly, he had no idea of how long he had been in here. Time had slipped away from him. Hell, it could’ve been days since Coulson had taken them. He didn’t know.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he was afraid that he was already too late.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>(Elsewhere, About the Same Time)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy shot up as the door to the containment cell opened. Her eyes widened as May walked into the room, but she didn’t move. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>May pointed to the ceiling, “Fitz has the security cams on a loop of you sleeping for the next thirty minutes.” she stated. “That way Coulson has no idea of what I’m going to tell you. He still needs to believe that I’m on his side for now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy shot up, running over to May and throwing her arms around her. “I missed you.” she mumbled. “Coulson’s crazy. He-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know exactly what he’s doing, Daisy.” May stated, pulling away from the Inhuman. “Coulson still thinks I’m with him. But, I don’t like what he’s doing anymore than you do. I’ve never seen him like this. He let his fear of the Inhumans cloud his judgement.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And now he wants to be a murderer?” Daisy frowned. “May, I know exactly what Coulson wants to do. Grant had someone hack into Operation Assiah files. We know everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May’s face fell. Well, that lessened the explanation she needed to do. “I’m not going to let that happen, Daisy. No matter what I think of Ward… It doesn’t mean that you or your children deserve to suffer because of who he is. Coulson’s taken his hatred of Ward too far and let it mix in with his fear of the Inhumans. I can’t let this happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where’s Grant?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coulson has him imprisoned at ATCU base </span>
  <em>
    <span>Titan</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Same base where some of his men are being kept. I am to go there tomorrow to check on him.” she answered. “I’m… I’m going to see what I can get out of him out how to get him out of there. His men scattered from Gehenna when Coulson attacked and the men we took prisoner are of no help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could hack my way in there.” Daisy began, urgency in her voice. “I could-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” May stated, cutting her off. “I don’t want you getting any more involved than you already are, Daisy. I don’t want you getting caught and Coulson speeding up his plans.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s face twisted up, “Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I’m useless!” she shouted. “Grant keeps doing the same thing! He won’t let me do anything because he’s afraid something will go wrong. I… I am not useless.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daisy, I am not calling you useless and I don’t think Ward is either. It’s just that you’re already in enough trouble.” May stated in reply, her voice soft. “If something goes wrong and Coulson knows that you’ve been hacking into restricted files… That’ll only increase his anger. It’s not because you’re pregnant. It’s because I don’t know of what he’ll do if he catches you doing such a thing. It’s to keep you safe. I want to see what Ward’s plans are before I jump into things, okay? There needs to be a coordinated plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coordinated plan? Grant’s in a fucking cell? Hell, I’m in a fucking cell!” Daisy snapped. “We just need to find a way to get Grant angry enough to let him get out of there. We-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ward’s not the Hulk. Coulson’s figured out how to render him powerless.” May cut in. “It’s a power inhibition serum that Lincoln developed. Potent enough to stop Ward for up to fifteen minutes. They’re developing a way to continuously administer it to him so it won’t wear off. To keep him in a coma. That way they can experiment on him as they like. Lincoln’s trying to work out the kinks to make sure that it doesn’t stop Ward’s regenerative factor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where the fuck is that slimey bastard?” Daisy hissed, her lips pulling into a snarl. “If he hurts Grant…” She trailed off and fell silent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May frowned, seeing just how much Grant meant to Daisy. “You love him, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy returned her gaze back to the older agent, “Yes.” she replied, not really sure of how to explain it. “I… I know that he’s not the greatest of people. But, It’s just different with him. And I’m not just saying that because he’s the father of my children.” She brought a hand to her abdomen and May now noticed the slightest of bumps. “I do love him, it’s just hard to explain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May nodded, “I won’t question it. I will only help Ward because it helps you in return.” she stated. “Because I know that you don’t want to lose him. Not like this. And I can’t let Coulson become a monster. I just hope that I can keep him from doing something to you. I don’t know when he intends to wipe your memory. Probably not until those children are born.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… You know it’s twins?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coulson told me. Simmons did a check-up on you.” she replied. “Don’t worry, she didn’t do anything. That’s a part of the ATCU deal. Those children can’t be hurt before they’re born. In exchange for you, Price gets Ward and the children. Coulson thinks that’s a fair deal. It’s honestly sick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears pricked at Daisy’s eyes. “You know… I never thought I would actually want children, May.” she stated, a quiver in her voice. “But now that it’s happening? I’m excited. I know that Grant and I aren’t the most ideal situation, but it’ll work if we survive. I don’t want to lose everything just because Coulson became a monster. Coulson doesn’t get to decide what happens to my family.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May took a breath and placed a hand onto Daisy’s cheek, “Daisy, I am not going to let that happen.” she stated. “I can’t let him do something so stupid. He… He isn’t the same man anymore. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know why he’s become this. He’s let his hatred of Ward and his fear of the Inhumans warp him into someone he’s not. He used to be a hero… Now he’s worse than Ward. But, I will put a stop to this before you get hurt, Daisy. I can’t let him do something like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s stomach started to churn. May </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> telling the truth. Coulson was now worse than Grant ever was. Grant might not be the greatest of people, but at least he didn’t run around claiming to be a hero. Coulson would never be a hero again. All of this made her absolutely despise him. Truly, she never thought this would be how things would be. Her pregnant with Grant Ward’s children and madly in love with him while despising Coulson at the very same time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And, truly, she knew that her hatred of him would only grow worse.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Alright, so things are starting to pick up. Next chapter will definitely be May visiting Ward and offering to help for Daisy's sake. But, will Grant accept her help? Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. The Turning of This Knife</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>May and Grant talk.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(The Next Day, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Titan </span>
  </em>
  <span>Base)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant looked up as the door to his cell opened. He snarled as he noticed that it was May, but frowned as she raised a hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leave us be.” she stated to the guards that flanked her. “My conditions of coming here were that we would be alone. No surveillance, either. And I trust that the inhibitors are at full power. This is between me and him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guards looked at one another nervously before nodding and leaving the room, shutting and locking the cell door behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May raised an eyebrow as Grant stood to his feet, “You seem to forget that I helped Daisy get out of SHIELD, Ward.” she stated. She pulled a remote from her pocket. “Also, if you try to attack me, this will send a shock to those cuffs around your wrists and render you unconscious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The snarl remained on Grant’s face. “So, why are you here? I know that this is an ATCU base.” he stated. “How did you get in here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coulson still thinks that I am on his side. And I intend to keep it that way. But, that is not the case. He sent me here to check on you. To gloat. But, I have my own agenda, Ward. I promised Daisy that I would help you in order to stop Coulson.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face fell at the mention of Daisy. “Is… Is she okay?” he asked, his voice low and strained. “I swear if-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s okay. For now.” May answered, cutting him off. “Coulson has her in a containment cell back at the SHIELD base. I don’t think he plans to wipe her memory yet. But, I don’t know how much time we have. He might try to wipe her memories of you and then do the same after your children are born.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant blinked, trying to process his next move. “Then what do you want from me?” he asked, more coldly than he had intended. “I’m in a fucking cell that I can’t even put a dent in and Coulson’s clearly somehow found a way to inhibit my powers. I can’t do shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can thank Lincoln for that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He and Simmons, mainly him, developed a serum that inhibits your powers for up to fifteen minutes.” May answered. “He’s currently trying to work kinks out to where it can be continuously administered where it basically keeps you in a coma, but it doesn’t stop your regenerative factor. That way, the ATCU can experiment on you as much as they like and you’ll still heal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face twisted up in rage again, “And you can tell him the next time I see him that I’ll rip his fucking spine out and light it up like a damn torch.” he hissed. “I don’t like being naked like this. Powerless. It makes me feel weak. Defenseless.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May grimace, her mouth falling into a hard line. “Always the pleasant type, aren’t you? But, you don’t need to get angry yet. Save that anger for when I can get you out of here. I plan to stage a breakout.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not all of your men at Gehenna were captured. Coulson’s main targets were you and Daisy; he didn’t care about anyone else. So, they’re still out there. I want them to stage the breakout so I can still look like I’m on Coulson’s side. I just need a contact. Your captured Inhumans are also here, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face fell, “They’re here?” he croaked. “Where the hell am I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ATCU Base </span>
  <em>
    <span>Titan</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” she answered. “Funny enough, a subset of Area 51. The government likes to keep anything alien-related in one place. I just don’t think they realize what’s actually happening here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant took a sharp breath and ran his hands through his hair to calm himself. The thick, messy cords of scars on his right forearm caught May’s eye. “Fine. What kind of contact do you need?” he asked. “You’re gonna have to attack from the outside. The best bet is probably a hack. I have men at another base that can do such a thing. I know Daisy could probably do it, but that would only get her in even more trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just someone that will trust your word.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have one guy that could coordinate everything if he’s still alive. Now, he won’t like a SHIELD agent contacting him, but he’ll probably listen if you tell him I gave him his contact.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll figure something out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant rolled his eyes and rattled off a phone number, May committing it to memory. “His name is Kebo.” he stated. “Kind of an asshole, but gets the job done. He’ll know what to do once you tell him your plan. Oh, and be sure to tell him that ‘taco night is canceled’. He’ll know what that means.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be sure to remember that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant took a few steps towards the agent, eyeing her like she was his prey. “And what kind of breakout are you planning, May?” he asked cooly. “What do you plan on happening after I get the hell out of here? What if Coulson finds out what you did and blames whatever deaths happen on you? Coulson’s insane. There’s no fucking telling of what he would do if he gets upset with you. If he saw Daisy running to me and choosing her own children over him as betrayal, then I don’t even want to know what he would think of you doing something like this. I don’t like you, May, but I’ll admit that you have guts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need compliments from you, Ward.” May stated harshly, staring him down. “I just want to do the right thing. I want to stop Coulson before it’s too late. I promised Daisy that I would help you because it helps her and those children in return. This isn’t just about you. It’s about stopping Coulson before he becomes some kind of tyrant. I don’t want to know what he’s already done to Inhumans. Rosalind Price is really only a face at this point. Coulson’s the true brains. I don’t know what’s happened to him, but I want to stop him before he does anything else stupid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant gave her a feigned smile, “And do you really want to know what I’ll do to him if I get out of here?” his voice practically a purr. He came inches away from May, who didn’t flinch. Even if he did tower over her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Humor me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will find a way to burn him layer by layer.” he growled. “Burn him slowly as he screams out in agony. Burn him until there’s nothing but bone left. I’m tired of losing to him. I’m tired of him taking things from me. I want this to stop. I will not let him take Daisy or my children away from me, May. You might be looking for a way to bring him back, but I’m not.” His lips grew into a tight smile, “I want to kill him for what he’s done for me. I should’ve killed him back when he shipped me to my asshole of a brother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May winced at Grant’s cruelty. But, it was no surprise. And, honestly, she couldn’t blame him. Coulson was trying his damndest to take everything away from Grant. All for what? A grudge? But, why did innocent people have to die in order to sate Coulson’s need for revenge. May knew that she would never fully understand Coulson’s intentions. There were too many layers to what Coulson really wanted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Did he just want control over the Inhumans and he had found out that Grant was the perfect victim to test that out on? Grant was a criminal, wanted by just about every governmental agency. That almost gave Coulson permission to do whatever the hell he wanted to Grant. Grant’s crimes were akin to those that would get someone thrown into somewhere like Guantanamo, if that was still a thing. Grant was wanted for treason, multiple counts of murder, and God knows how many counts of arson. If the government got their way, Grant would be first in line for death row. That’s why Coulson could get away with what he was doing to Grant, because his life really didn’t matter in the end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But what about all of the other Inhumans locked up in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Titan </span>
  </em>
  <span>base? Grant and Daisy’s unborn kids? What did they do? The only thing they were guilty of was being Inhuman. May wasn’t sure if the government knew about Coulson’s other deeds. How much oversight was placed onto the ATCU? She knew that the ATCU had been formed to deal with the Inhuman ‘threat’, but most of the people here weren’t threats. She knew that she had seen children behind the doors on the way to Grant’s cell. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant was a threat, but those children were not. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant swallowed and took a few steps away from May, “Contact Kebo. Tell him what you want to do.” he stated, the tone of his voice much softer than it was. “He’ll figure something out. Better to have the attack look like it came from Hydra rather than someone inside of SHIELD. It’ll save your ass in the end, May. I can’t let anyone else get caught up in this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May frowned and nodded, turning around to leave. “I’ll see.” she stated, starting to walk towards the cell door. But, Grant’s voice stopped her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May. Promise me this one thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned back around to look at the man, seeing pure and utter grief in his eyes. “Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Promise… Promise me that you’ll do whatever it takes to keep Daisy safe and my children alive. I… I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to them. I don’t know what will become of me. The only thing keeping me from losing it all is the thought of being able to have a happy life with Daisy and our children. But, I don’t know what will happen if I lose that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She didn’t want to know what would happen either. Grant lost himself in battle. There was no telling of what would happen if Grant did in fact lose the very things that he cared for. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What kind of monster would he become if Coulson managed to take everything away from him?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll try.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned back around and knocked on the cell door. Grant stepped back as it opened and guards pointed guns at him as May left. The door slammed shut, making his ears ring. He sat on the edge of his cot, anger starting to brew in his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson would have hell to pay if he did manage to make it out of this hellhole.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And so Grant and May have a plan! Will May be able to convince Kebo to help stage a breakout? Or will something happen before she even gets the chance to do anything? And we are getting to a big, emotional chapter very soon, so there's that. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Above the Roaring of the Flames</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Night draws near.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(The Next Day, Elsewhere)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know why you’re surprised, Daisy. I told you that you would be labeled a traitor if you chose him over us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s face twisted into a snarl, “I didn’t choose Grant over you. I chose my own children over you.” she growled, staring Coulson down. Coulson had come into the containment cell only a few minutes ago. He had tried to be nice to her, but she wasn’t having any of his bullshit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s face fell, “How many times must I tell you that those children are a threat, Daisy?” he asked, a strange tone in his voice. “Pure Inhumans aren’t something the world is prepared to deal with. We must deal with them before it’s too late.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not like they’re gonna come blasting out of my vagina ready to kill people!” she exclaimed. “They’re babies! Terrigenesis will not happen for years if I have my way with things. You’re automatically assuming that they’re dangerous just because they’re Inhuman. That’s prejudice, Coulson.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not prejudice. It’s common sense.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy bit back her rage. “You used to be a good guy, Coulson. Someone I looked up to.” she stated. “What the hell happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A strained light shone in Coulson’s eyes, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Daisy.” he answered. “I’m still a good guy. I’m trying to do the right thing here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop lying to yourself!” Daisy screamed. “The ‘right thing’ doesn’t involve experimenting on children and wiping their mother’s memory of them and their father!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daisy, sometimes we have to do things that aren’t so nice in order to achieve the greater good.” he stated, giving her an obviously fake smile. “Your kids are something we don’t understand. They’re threats. We cannot have more like Ward out in the wild, can we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant’s a threat because of what he’s been through, not because of what he was born as.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson almost laughed. “That is far from the truth, Daisy. I got the results from the ATCU’s tests and it confirms Lincoln’s suspicions. Your little boyfriend of yours has no human blood in his body. He’s a hundred percent Inhuman. He’s not supposed to exist. He is the kind the Kree tried to exterminate all those years ago. Pure Inhumans, according to Lincoln, are the closest things to gods that we have on this planet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s face fell, realizing why Grant was so damn powerful. He had no human side holding him back like she did. Both sides of him were powered and that created a monster. But, Daisy knew that wasn’t the sole reason why Grant was so unhinged. He had been through hell and back again several times over and that had stretched him thin. Coulson had pushed him to the breaking point. The Berserker rage. Grant wasn’t a monster solely due to genetics. There was a practical cocktail of causative factors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ward can regrow limbs in a matter of seconds and rip apart metal like it’s nothing, Daisy.” Coulson continued. “He shouldn’t exist. And if he’s that powerful, just imagine what his children will be like. It’s likely that they’ll inherit his Inhuman genes instead of your one. Pure carbon copies of a monster. I cannot let that stand. Imagine the havoc that they would cause.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They will do no such thing.” Daisy hissed through clenched teeth, tears stinging in her eyes. “I will never let them get to that point. I will raise them to be better than their father. Hell, Grant wants them to be better than he ever was. Grant’s a made monster, not a born monster. And anything he’s doing right now is your fault. You forced his hand. He reacted. And I don’t blame him. I wanna rip that fucking smug grin right off your damn face.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s face fell, “And that’s why I had to act.” he stated, turning his back to her. “You don’t realize how much of a monster Ward is, Daisy. You’re blind with love. He’ll betray you if it benefits him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He would never do such a thing, Coulson.” Daisy growled. “Not again. He is loyal to me and our children. Get your head out of your fucking ass and stop this shit. This is ridiculous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson walked towards the door, refusing to look at Daisy, “I’m sorry, Daisy, but he’s forced my hand. What I do is for the betterment of humanity. If we can prevent monsters like Ward from happening… Then that’ll save lives. I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson left the room, locking the door behind him, and left Daisy standing there all alone. She fought back the sobs. She fought back the anger. Because she knew that there was no use in trying to change Coulson’s mind. He was dead set on this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>All that mattered now was getting the hell out of here before it was too late.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>(</span>
  <em>
    <span>Titan </span>
  </em>
  <span>Base, Same Time)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s funny how things end, isn’t it, Ward?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck you.” Grant stared into Rosalind’s eyes from where he was strapped to a lab table. He smiled, “Wait, I think Coulson already does that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My personal life is none of your concern, Ward.” Rosalind stated with a sniff. Her eyes drifted down to the heavy bandaging around her arm. “You know, my arm will never work right again because of you. That burn destroyed nerve endings and now my hand will barely function because of it. Too bad I can’t do the same to you because no matter the injury, it always heals. How far can we push that?” she questioned, looming over him. “Unfortunately, the inhibition serum hasn’t been perfected. If we use it to render you unconscious, it inhibits your healing ability. So, we can’t use that. You’ll be awake for every last bit of this. I would say that I’m sorry, but I’m not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s smile turned into a snarl, “So, this is my life now?” he asked, seeing scientists move out of the corner of his eye. “A regenerating lab rat?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We think you’ll provide us an infinite amount of specimens to study.” Rosalind answered. “If we take tissue samples, then they’ll just grow back, right? But, first, we want to test the extent of your healing. Sure, we can’t chop off your head or rip out your heart. Those are vital areas. Life centers. But, can you regrow all four limbs at once? What all can you regrow?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? You want to chop off my penis or something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a possibility.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant smiled, “It’ll just grow back. Maybe it’ll be even bigger and Daisy will be thrilled.” he retorted. “I spend more than enough time with my dick inside of her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rosalind flared her nostrils in disgust. “You really are a man of no morals, are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s my sex life gotta do with that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a twisted and disgusting man.” she stated, taking a step away from him. “You don’t care what happens to anyone else. You’re someone who should’ve been killed a long time ago. You’re cruel, sadistic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s pot calling the kettle black.” Grant sneered, straining his neck to look at her. “I know that I heard the cries of children on the way here. How many kids do you have locked up here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re sick. We’re searching for a cure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Inhumanity is not some virus. We’re not sick and we definitely don’t need some damn cure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rosalind raised an eyebrow, “You may think that, but what about those who didn’t ask for powers?” she asked. “Those who think it’s a curse and want it to be taken away from them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s mouth grew into a thin line, “Then, I think that they’re fucking idiots and are only making it worse for the rest of us.” he answered. “Deal with them if you must, but not every single fucking Inhuman has to be neutralized. Just because I’m a monster doesn’t mean all of us are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d rather much deal with things before they have the potential to become a threat, Mr. Ward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What you’re proposing is a genocide.” Grant stated coldly, noting how the scientists were slowly getting closer to him. “There’s no way that this is legal. I know the ATCU is the government, but how much does the government know what’s going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’ve given me and Coulson free reign to do whatever we need to do to address the Inhuman outbreak.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that includes imprisoning kids?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like I said, whatever we need to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant about laughed, “I should’ve figured that the government didn’t care.” he stated. “That they would be behind this bullshit, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s none of your concern, Mr. Ward. We do what we need to do in order to ensure the survival of humanity and the planet.” She turned and began to walk away, “You can do whatever you like to him.” she said to the scientists. “Take limbs. Take tissue. As long as it doesn’t kill him. We just need specimens to test out potential cures on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, hold on!” Grant lashed against the restraints, but whatever inhibitors they had in the room had rendered him absolutely powerless. Developments in technology that were being used against the Inhumans were coming fast. Very fast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes widened as a scientist appeared above him, saw in hand. The scientist placed the blade of the saw to Grant’s left wrist. They hadn’t given him any kind of pain relief; he would have to face this with full awareness of what was going on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He screamed out as the scientist started sawing, the blade cutting flesh and soon bone as every nerve in Grant’s body cried out in protest. He shut his eyes, refusing to look. Yes, he had tortured plenty of people before in plenty of heinous ways, but this was different. This was his own hand. Soon, the nerves stopped screaming and Grant heard something hit the floor. He forced himself to look down, seeing that his arm ended in a bloody stump where his hand was supposed to be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Time the reaction.” another scientist said. “See how long it takes just a hand to regrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A burning sensation tingled in his arm and Grant watched as bone started to reform, taking the shape of his hand. Muscle and skin soon followed. He heard a click.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One minute and five seconds.” someone announced. “Just for a hand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The original scientist wiped the saw blade clean and repositioned it at Grant’s elbow, “Now let’s see half an arm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Grant’s world went red as his nerves started screaming once more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wanted to kill them. He wanted to rip them apart until there was nothing left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, he was nothing more than a lab rat trapped in an endless maze of torture.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>(Elsewhere, Later That Day)</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span> “And why is a goody-two-shoes SHIELD agent contacting me?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>May drew in a sharp breath, already not liking Kebo’s tone, “Because Ward gave me your contact.” she stated. “He told me to talk to you. Also, he said that ‘taco night’s cancelled’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard the man’s breath hitch, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Ward’s alive?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Taco night was their code to make sure whoever the contact was was someone that they could trust. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but I don’t know for how long.” May answered. “He’s currently being held in an ATCU facility. I talked to him yesterday without SHIELD or the ATCU knowing what I was really there for.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You sound like quite the traitor.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>May frowned, “Not so much as a traitor as I am trying to prevent Director Coulson from doing something stupid. I am sure that Ward’s told you all about his plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I never heard the end of it. Well, let’s hear the madman’s plans. What does Ward want? Or what is it you want?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“A breakout. Even if I don’t like Ward one bit, helping him means helping Daisy in return.” she answered. “I am doing this for her. And those children. And, most of all, I’m doing this to stop Coulson before he does something stupid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“So, what did Ward want me to do?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“He wants it to look like the attack, well the breakout, came from Hydra, not from the inside. He said that you would know what to do. He wants to keep me out of this because there’s no telling of what Coulson would do in retaliation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo let out a small chuckle, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Ward still has a heart somewhere in that tough shell of his.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he joked. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“But, even if it’s only towards his own. I have an idea of what to do. It might take a couple of days. You’ll have to make sure that Ward stays alive because he’s the key. Let’s just just say it’ll be like releasing a tiger in the middle of a crowded zoo.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You plan on releasing Ward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Better than releasing everyone at once, right? Take down their infrastructure with just one man.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kebo answered. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“He’s got enough rage.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“This facility also houses the captured Inhumans of his. Ward already wants to rescue them.” May stated. “So, there’s that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Bloody hell. Now, that complicates things. Rescuing them was a priority for him. Still, give me a couple of days. A direct attack is probably not our best bet. I’ll figure something out. Expect something by the end of the week. I will not give it any warning. Gives it a little certain mystery to it.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo ended the call just like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May frowned and stashed her burner phone. She really didn’t like the idea of teaming up with Grant’s Hydra for this, but this was an unprecedented situation. She would be willing to do anything to stop Coulson. She would do anything to ensure that Daisy and her children were safe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even if that meant siding with someone she once called an enemy.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And crap's gonna hit the fan in the next chapter. I'm gonna try to make it long and dark. If you want a hint of the feel for the next chapter, look up ASHES from the Promare OST. Any guesses of what's going to happen? I'm all ears. Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Lost all My Precious, Rage Ate Me Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The worst comes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Four Days Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy looked up as Fitz made his way into the room. She frowned as she noticed a worried expression on his face. She stood to her feet, “Fitz?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz played with his hands, refusing to look at her, “It’s… It’s, uh, May.” he said, his voice small and full of fear. “No one’s seen her since the other day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s stomach dropped, “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz shrugged, “Coulson’s been real quiet and Mack hasn’t seen May anywhere. I know that she was wanting to find a way to help Ward.” he explained. “It’s just very suspicious that she’s suddenly disappeared.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think Coulson did something to her?” Daisy, her voice quiet. She felt like throwing up. There was no way that May had already been found out. Unless Coulson was a whole lot smarter than she thought he was. Honestly, she wasn’t even sure what May had gotten out of Grant. May hadn’t shown back up after then. She had seen her just the other day in the hallway, but May hadn’t come in to check on her. It was likely that May was trying to keep her distance to make sure that Coulson kept on believing that she was on his side. But, if May had already gotten found out, that was bad news. There was honestly no telling of what Coulson would do in order to silence those who went against him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I don’t know. But, the fact that she’s nowhere to be seen is bad.” Fitz stated with a shrug. “No one’s seen her. I’m too afraid to find anything out from Coulson. But of course Coulson would hide it from everyone if he did in fact do something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you heard any word about a breakout from any ATCU base?” Daisy asked, a hand on her abdomen. “That’s what May wanted to do. I guess she thought a breakout would put a dent into Coulson’s plans or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I haven’t. If something did happen, it’s been kept tight-lipped. And considering Ward hasn’t shown up to burn this base down, I guess nothing has happened yet. Or…” he trailed off, not wanting to finish. And he didn’t have to, Daisy knew what he meant. That Grant could be dead and she would never know if Coulson had his way with things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to talk to Mack.” Fitz stated. “He’s growing afraid for Elena’s sake. If Coulson’s willing to do whatever it takes to eradicate the Inhumans, Mack doesn’t want to know what will happen to Elena if Coulson gets his way.” He swallowed, “I don’t know what’s going on, Daisy. And… It scares me. Coulson isn’t the same man who formed this team. He’s insane. I don’t know what happened to him. I understand not wanting the Inhumans to become a problem, but this doesn’t make sense, Daisy. Wanting your unborn children to be experiments is just sick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At this point, I’ve stopped caring about Coulson. I just want out of here, Fitz. I want to get Grant back. But… Coulson needs to be stopped. How that happens, I don’t care.” Daisy explained, looking dead at the engineer. “As long as no one else gets hurt. If something happened to May because of him… I will </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>forgive him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought targeting your children and locking Ward up already crossed a line?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy gave him a tight smile, “Then he’s stepped across the point of no return.” she stated harshly. “I will never forgive him after this. After all he’s tried to destroy. Fitz, I don’t care what happens to him at this point. Grant could burn him alive for all I care. I just want all of this to stop before it’s too late.” Her hand went back to her abdomen, “He’s taken it too far, Fitz. And if May’s hurt because of him… I don’t know what I’ll do. I won’t hold Grant back if that’s the case.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz blinked and looked away, not really sure of what to say. “Daisy… I don’t blame you.” he stated. “All of this is too crazy. I understand him being disappointed in you for having sex with Ward, but using you and literal children as an outlet for his hatred of Ward and his fear of the Inhumans is too much. I don’t think he was the same after the Uprising. And once the Inhumans started popping up, that’s when he started to get worse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant said that Coulson was a control-obsessed tyrant and I’m really starting to believe just that at this point.” Daisy continued. “The Inhumans are something out of his control and he doesn’t like it. The kids are out of his control. Ward’s out of his control. And that need to control things out of his reach drove him over the edge. I think that serum fucked with his mind. After he started drawing those symbols, he started slipping. I don’t know how else to explain it. It’s just-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fucked up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s tight smile returned, “Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz sighed and nodded, turning his back to her, “I’m going to go talk to Mack, see what he wants to do. Maybe we can figure out what happened to May.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s shoulders slumped. She feared she already knew the truth of what happened to May. To why she had suddenly gone missing. And she knew that she wouldn’t like it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you’re not too late.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>(ATCU Base </span>
  <em>
    <span>Titan</span>
  </em>
  <span>, About the Same Time)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant cocked his head and looked at the door as he heard a beep. He stood to his feet as the door swung open, revealing the hallway outside. But, he saw no one whatsoever. Another beep sounded and Grant was about sent to his feet as fire rushed through his veins and he felt his strength return.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A wicked smile pulled at his lips as he realized what was going on. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“That bitch did it.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought, still staring at the open cell door. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Guess Kebo wanted to cooperate after all. But, is this just contained to my cell or is it an all-out breakout? Considering that I don’t hear screaming, it must just be my cell and my cell alone. Well, that saves me the trouble. I need to find my men anyway. May said that they were here. I have to find them if it’s not too late.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He walked towards the open door and slammed his arms against the alloyed metal of the walls. The metal crumpled underneath his strength and the cuffs around his wrists shattered, falling to the ground with a clatter. He made his way out of the cell into the eerily quiet hallway. It was devoid of all sound, which was strange. But, at the moment, he didn’t mind. He let his senses focus on his surroundings, focusing on the heat signatures around him to try and find his men.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He made his way down the hallway slowly, making note of the different heat sigs from behind the cell doors. Most seemed to be sleeping, so he assumed that it was night. Leave it to Kebo to stage a breakout at night. But, Grant didn’t want this to be quiet. He wanted things to go out with a bang. He knew that he couldn’t get </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone </span>
  </em>
  <span>out. But, doing damage to a main ATCU prison base would be more than enough. Especially if he could get his men out of here. As long as Grant could do that and manage to find his way to Daisy, he would be more than happy. Coulson could wait. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This will be too easy.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Grant thought, his eyes trailing the steel doors of the walls. He could tell that this was the main cell bay. They were stupid enough to keep him with all the other “prisoners”. How many were there? Grant could tell a couple dozen at the least. All ages, too. He could sense at least a couple of children. It made his Berserker rage start to bubble deep within his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was sick. None of these people did anything wrong. As far as he could tell, he was the only one here that had actually done something to deserve being behind bars. But children? It was ridiculous to him. Coulson had really gone too far with his fear of the Inhumans. Grant suspected it was also to please the government so SHIELD could stay a legitimate organization. More the reason for him to burn it all to the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I can’t believe this. I can’t believe he would be capable of such evil shit. It’s disgusting. I-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop! How did you get out of your cell?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant stopped and turned around to see an armed ATCU guard behind him, a gun pointed straight at his chest. His lips cracked into a smile and he flexed his fingers at his side, “I’ve been itching to fight someone here.” he purred, taking a step towards the guard. His smile grew as he saw the fear in the guard’s eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“S-Stay back!” the guard barked, a stammer in his voice. He went to grab his radio, but paused as Grant suddenly disappeared from view, only cinders remaining. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wrong answer.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant was suddenly behind him, his arm outstretched. Smoke rose from his fingertips. He looked to see the embers dancing on the guard’s uniform before they exploded, engulfing the guard in white-hot flames. The guard didn’t even get the chance to scream before the oxygen was ripped out of his lungs. Grant turned back around and clenched his fist, snuffing out the flames. He smiled as he walked by the now-charred corpse of the guard, only stopping to bend down and pick up his fallen assault rifle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If every ATCU guard is like you, then this’ll be a breeze.” he laughed, continuing on his track. “That only took mere seconds. No wonder they’re afraid of me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, Grant wasn’t sure of where his men were being kept, but they at least had to be on this floor. And, truly, Grant didn’t want to know what was being kept on the other floors. He didn’t remember where he had been taken while in the labs the last couple of days. They had kept him unconscious during the transfer to ensure that he didn’t do anything against them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant quietly hummed as he made his way down the twisting hallways, finding it odd that no one was around. Like that singular guard had just been a fluke. He didn’t like it, but he knew that he had to keep pushing forward. He had to find his men. He had to get out of here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And luckily, after a while, a seemingly familiar heat sig floated into his senses. Several of them. He paused and turned to look at a cell door. He found it strange that there were </span>
  <em>
    <span>multiple </span>
  </em>
  <span>heat sources in the cells, but that wasn’t what he really worried about right now. With a snarl, he swung his fist straight into the door, the metal starting to crumple underneath his strength. He could tell that these doors weren’t built to withstand attacks from the </span>
  <em>
    <span>outside</span>
  </em>
  <span>. After a few swings, the door gave way and fell in with a loud clang. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the air felt like it had been ripped from Grant’s lungs. He felt sick. He wanted to scream. He wanted to kill. He wanted to destroy. He wanted- He wanted-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bodies laid in a crumpled heap on the floor. Grant could count ten of them. The ten Inhumans that had been taken. All bloodied and broken like they had gotten the shit beaten out of them. And Grant could tell that about 4 of them were dead, the rest barely clinging onto life. Four women and six men. Their only crime was being Inhuman. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s head felt heavy. The Berserker rage was fighting its way out of his throat, wanting to burn away the last bit of humanity that he had left. They had killed them and for what? Hatred? Prejudice? Only because they had been associated with him? It was pathetic. Monstrous. Evil.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant was pulled out of his thoughts as a thump sounded out from behind him. He spun to see guards standing there and a crumpled body on the ground, blood leaking from somewhere. The body was alive, but barely. On closer inspection, his stomach dropped as the guards suddenly disappeared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rage burned and came roaring out of his throat as Grant screamed, fire spewing from his mouth and burning the ceiling above. That last little bit of humanity burned away like a dry scrap of paper. He wanted to kill every last ATCU agent in the building. He was already hell-bound, so what did it matter in the end?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He scrambled over to May’s side as she weakly lifted her head, blood trailing from the corner of her mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coulson… Found out…” she wheezed. “I didn’t… This wasn’t the breakout…” she wheezed. “T-Trap…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s head shot up as a figure appeared in the doorway and he snarled, incapable of human speech at this point. His eyes were nothing but flame-filled orbs as the figure clapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And this is why I kept you locked up, Ward. Just look at you. There’s nothing but a devil in those eyes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck did you do?!” Grant screamed, flames pouring from his mouth once more. “What the fuck is all of this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson cocked his head, “May double-crossed me.” he answered. “Found out there had been contact between SHIELD and Hydra. Burner phones aren’t really that private as you think.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s almost dead!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson almost seemed nonchalant. “I can’t have traitors in my midst, Ward. You should know that.” he stated. He gestured to the broken Inhumans behind Grant, “And I had been meaning to get rid of them. And this was the perfect opportunity.” He smiled and stepped backwards out of the room, “Surely you understand what I had to do, Ward. I root out the traitors so I can do what needs to be done.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant went to lunge at him, but an emergency cell door crashed down between them, sealing the room off. The rage tore at his heart, morphing and shaping him further into the monster Coulson thought he was. If Coulson wanted a monster, then Grant was going to give him a monster. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s eyes flickered between May’s broken form and the Inhumans, noticing one more had died. He couldn’t even save them, how could he save Daisy? How could he save his children? He couldn’t save anyone. It was just like Tommy and the well all over again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rage came burning out once more as he screamed out, his voice full of grief and rage as flames came spilling out of his mouth. The flames melted into the ceiling, filling the room with smoke as the metal started to melt. He would burn every last person down that stood in the way of him getting back to Daisy. Even if he couldn’t save his Inhumans, he would at least try to save May in the process. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Coulson would be dead before he even knew what was coming. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I told you that it would get dark. And if you're confused, basically Coulson found May out and set up a "trap" before Kebo had a chance to stage the breakout, unfortunately. And, basically, Coulson's insane. Any guesses of what's to come next? keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. A Demon's Fate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Daisy starts to realize that something has gone wrong.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Elsewhere, About the Same Time)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coulson’s gone, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy frowned as Fitz leaned up against the door. Mack was in the room, too. Mack frowned, trying to figure things out. He had only recently agreed to fully help because he didn’t want Elena getting caught up in the mess. He wanted to put a stop to things before someone got hurt, but he was afraid that it was already too late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson being gone around the same time May had gone missing was suspicious. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence at all.” Mack stated, crossing his arms. “From what you’ve told me, Coulson’s gotten too desperate to cover himself. If he found out that May was wanting to break Ward out, then that’s bad news for her. If he’s willing to get rid of children just because he thinks they’re monsters, there’s no telling what he’ll be willing to do in order to deal with May.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy swallowed, starting to feel sick to her stomach. Mack was right. Coulson was practically insane at this point. There was no telling what he was willing to do in order to protect himself. Hell, May could be dead for all they knew. And that’s what scared her. Coulson had lost himself a long time ago and was no longer the hero who had formed the heart of this team. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, this wasn’t a team anymore. One was missing. Half of them hated her for choosing her own children over them. Fitz, Mack, and Elena were the only ones she could trust at this point. Honestly, she thought that they stopped being a team after Grant’s betrayal. Coulson had taken it so personally that it had started to change him. And the GH serum fucking up his head didn’t make matters any better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have to find a way to get you out of here.” Fitz stated, a hard look in his eyes. “Daisy, if Coulson really did something to May… There’s no telling what he’ll do to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy swallowed, “No, it’s too risky.” she stated. “It can’t look like the two of you are involved in this. At all. I don’t want you suffering whatever fate may had.” She looked away from them. “If I break out without outside interference, Coulson’s gonna know. If he found May of all people out this easily…. He’ll figure the two of you out. Fitz, he probably already suspects you in some way because you support me. It won’t take much to force him to act against you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz pursed his lips, knowing that Daisy was right. “Then what do we do?” he asked, his voice small. “It seems like no matter what we do, Coulson’s gonna find out. This? This is a dead end, Daisy. There’s no way around it. And I don’t think we can just sit around and wait for Ward to come rescue you. Hell, we don’t even know if he’s alive or not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s shoulders felt heavy and she started to feel sick to her stomach once more. She looked down to the hand that was still gently rested up against her abdomen, “I… I don’t know.” she admitted. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to put anyone else at risk. And if May’s hurt or worse, I’ll never forgive myself for getting her in this mess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tremors…” Mack frowned and took a few steps towards her. “Do not blame yourself. She was just trying to protect you. Blame Coulson. He’s doing all of this. You’ve done nothing wrong. This didn’t start with you fucking Ward. Coulson was already messed up by the time that happened. We… We just didn’t realize it because he was still acting like our friend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That just means he was never on our side to begin with.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I think he once was, Daisy.” Fitz stated with a shake of his head. “Emphasis on once. Whatever’s got him thinking like a bloody maniac has him turned the other way. And I don’t think there’s any fixing it. We just have to make sure that no one else gets hurt because of him. We’ll find May, Daisy. Somehow. But, we’ll find her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy turned her gaze away from the engineer once more, doubting his words. Could they really find May before it was too late? A part of her felt like they couldn’t, that it was already far too late. If Coulson was really so damned determined to cover his ass, there was no telling what he had done with May. If she was even still alive at this point. She shivered at the thought, terrified of the prospect of May’s fate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, Daisy was sure of one thing, though. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No matter May’s fate, she wouldn’t forgive Coulson if he was responsible for her disappearance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, Coulson had been past the point of no return for a long time now. It was just a matter of how much worse he got before she could find a way to stop him.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>(Elsewhere)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bodies had been stripped from the cell long ago and the guards had returned to “patch” May’s wounds, but had done nothing more for her than clean the gashes and splint a broken arm. They had left her on the floor, not bothering to place her on a cot. They had managed to restrain Grant and had injected him with an extra strong dose of the inhibitor formula and had locked him to some kind of mechanism on the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Coulson came again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t see why you try to fight, Ward.” he stated, giving a disapproving glance up to the melted ceiling. “This facility is built to withstand monsters like you. I only let you out of that cell because I wanted you to see what would happen if this shit keeps up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant wrinkled his nose the best he could, the inhibitor making the room spin around him, “That’s quite a threat coming from someone like you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson feigned a smile, his gaze flickering over to May’s unconscious form, “I think I can follow up on my threats.” he answered. “Don’t take me so lightly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May was the one person you trusted the most. Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know why. Like I said, she double-crossed me by trying to help you, Ward.” he answered, staring the Inhuman straight in the eyes. “You should know personally that I don’t take treason lightly. I’m trying to rebuild this organization. I can’t have traitors. I can’t have people who are actively trying to undermine my operation. I like control. This isn’t control.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant rose a weak eyebrow, “And tell me, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Phil</span>
  </em>
  <span>, what is your endgame here?” he asked. “I know that it’s much greater than trying to get rid of my children. There’s a stronger reason here. You wouldn’t headline an entire operation that is </span>
  <em>
    <span>killing </span>
  </em>
  <span>Inhumans just because, Coulson.” He smiled, “Tell me, what kind of sicko are you really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s tight smile returned, “The Inhumans are a threat. You and Daisy are living proof of that. In order to have SHIELD legitimized again, the government requested that I do something about the problem.” he began to explain. “So, I took the reins of the fledgling ATCU and made Price the face.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And how is kidnapping innocent Inhumans dealing with the problem?” Grant asked, a growl in his voice. “I understand someone like me. I know that I’m a monster. But, those men you left for me in a crumpled heap? I found them hiding from men like you. They’ve done nothing wrong. Being Inhuman isn’t a crime.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something twitched at Coulson’s lips, “I do what I have to do, Ward.” he stated coldly. “The Inhumans are a threat. A plague of sorts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant snorted, “So, Simmons and Sparky Boy got in your head?” he asked. “What’s next? A cure?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re heading there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant tried to focus on Coulson, his vision still swimming, “You know what? I think I’ve heard this rhetoric before. In history class.” he stated, giving the Director a slight smile. “This thinking? It’s sick. Monstrous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think you’re in any place to be calling me a monster, Ward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a monster because of what I’ve done, Coulson.” he growled, pulling at the restraints that held him against the wall. “Not because of my blood. But, you are far worse than I ever was. I kill to protect. I killed to protect Garrett. Now I kill to protect my family. But, my targets are never innocent people like the shit you’re pulling. The people you're targeting aren’t guilty of anything. They just happen to have different blood than you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson just glowered at him. “I have my reasons, Ward. I can’t have more monsters like you running around.” he answered. “I have my orders.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant just about laughed at the irony of that statement. Coulson defending himself by saying it was “just orders”? Like Coulson didn’t send the wrath of hell against him for doing the very same thing with Garrett.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does the government know of everything that you’re doing here? The children? What you’re wanting to do to my own?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson turned his back to the Inhuman, “I have my support, Ward.” he answered, beginning to walk away. “Most of them will let me do whatever I want to ensure that the </span>
  <em>
    <span>plague </span>
  </em>
  <span>is dealt with properly. Like I said, I can’t have more monsters like you in this world.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Director walked up to the door and pressed a button on the wall. The contraption holding Grant to the wall suddenly opened up, dropping him to the ground with a thud. The door slid open and Coulson gave Grant one last look. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll die before you get to see her again, Ward. You will never see those hellspawn of yours.” he stated. His eyes drifted to May once more, an indescribable look shining deep within them. “The rest of your days will be spent inside of a lab.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson disappeared out of the door, the metal slamming shut and causing Grant’s ears to ring. Grant snarled at the door, but knew that it wasn’t worth losing his cool now. He returned his gaze to May and got up, going over to the woman. He bent down and carefully picked her up. He walked over to the lone cot in the room and placed her on it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like you, but I think you deserve better than the concrete floor.” he muttered, turning his back to her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant knew that he had to find them a way out of here. The breakout had failed, unless Kebo came in clutch. Grant hoped that May would wake somewhat soon so he could ask how far they had gotten with the plan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, his earlier freak out hadn’t even been enough to destroy the cell. Nothing was. An attack would still have to come from the outside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Grant was really starting to doubt just that at this point. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And I'm sorry for abandoning this for over a month, but school got rough. But, I'm back for now. And y'all thought that Grant was in the clear, but he's not. And Coulson's clearly the bigger monster. Any guesses of what's going to happen next? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Angels Have Faith</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The end grows closer.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(That Night)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant sat on the stone cold floor, his back against the concrete wall. He stared at May’s still-unconscious form on the cot across the room. She had shown no signs of waking yet and Grant was starting to grow afraid that she would never wake again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is fucking ridiculous.” Grant muttered, turning his eyes away from May’s form. “Coulson’s completely lost his shit. He’s gone as far as possibly killing May. This isn’t right. He’s so damn intent on proving that he’s in the right with what he’s doing. He doesn’t realize that I’m no longer the villain in this story. He is. Funny how things work in the end.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed and ran his hands through his soot-covered hair. “I didn’t intend on any of this happening.” he continued. “I wanted to get Daisy somewhere safe. Somewhere where the kids can be born safely. I failed to see the rat that doctor really was and now I’m locked up, May could die, and the kids might be ripped from Daisy once they’re born.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I wanted to be able to settle down. Provide a decent life for Daisy and our kids. I knew that Coulson wouldn’t like the idea of me having children, but I didn’t ever think that he would turn out this way. He refuses to see how stupid he actually is. He’s never seen how wrong he actually is. His God complex is acting up big time and now it’s getting people killed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s eyes went back to May, “He hurt the one person that probably trusted him the most.” he mumbled. “I would’ve never thought that he would hurt May for his own gain, but here we are. It doesn’t make sense. I still think that GH serum jumbled his brain like it did with Garrett. Because he wasn’t like this before that TAHITI shit happened. He’s always wanted things to be in control, but he’s taken it to the extreme this time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thinks he can control everything.” he continued. “He thinks he can wipe out an entire race because it’s out of his “control”. Even worse, he’s more than willing to wipe out an entire race just to please someone so SHIELD can be legitimized again. It’s sick. That man’s gone completely insane. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He has Simmons and Lincoln on his side. That’s bad. He already had Lincoln develop an inhibitor serum for me. So, there’s no telling to what else he’ll have that bastard develop. He’ll probably go as far as finishing that cure he was talking about. And then he’ll force it upon people.” Grant let out a low laugh and drug a hand down his bearded face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to get out of here. Find May somewhere safe. Hopefully, she’ll wake up. I’ll find where they’re keeping Daisy and I’ll go and burn the damn place down. I don’t care who lives or who dies at this point. As long as I can get Daisy and my kids out of there. And then I’ll tear Coulson limb from limb and then burn him until there is absolutely nothing left but the bones of his skeleton.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a sharp breath, mulling over his options. “Having May set up a breakout with Kebo was a bust.” he muttered. “And I can’t seem to get out of this cell.” His eyes flickered to the burnt metal of the ceiling. “It managed to hold me at full freakout, which isn’t good. SHIELD is developing their anti-Inhuman tech fast. So, they’ll definitely be at a cure sooner or later. If they can perfect it. Coulson somehow has the support of the government, so that’ll have the tech coming out rapidly. I’ll be willing to bet that within a matter of months, they’ll be lining us up to “cure” and sterilize us.” He laughed, “And they called me a Nazi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes lingered on the burnt and twisted ceiling, “I don’t think Coulson’s aware of what he’s doing. He thinks that he’s doing a good thing here. Because he’s convinced that it’ll get rid of monsters like me. He thinks that he’s doing the world a favor, I assume. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone planted that thought into his head. He’s got a big enough ego that he would think it was a good thing he someone told him that it was. Praise will only make that damn God complex even worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The world is convinced that all Inhumans are bad all because of a few bad apples. Bad apples like me.” he continued. “But, my Inhumanity isn’t the reason why I’m like this. I was like this way before I ever had powers.” He held his hand out in front of him and flexed his fingers. He felt the slightest spark of power, but it was clear that the inhibitors were still doing their jobs. “You can’t blame the whole for the actions of a few. It’s ridiculous. And Coulson’s eating that right up. And he doesn’t realize the monster he’s become in the process. He’s more of a monster than I ever was.” A smile pulled at the edges of his lips as a hellish light flashed in his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I definitely won’t mind showing him no mercy at all.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>(Elsewhere)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lincoln looked up as footsteps echoed out in the lab. He frowned and pulled away from the microscope as Coulson came into view. “Sir?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just wanted to check on how our newest project is coming along.” Coulson stated, raising an eyebrow at the young Inhuman. “I trust it’s going well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lincoln shook his head, “No, it’s not.” he answered. “You’re wanting me to finish this too soon. It’s rushed. You just had me start it the other day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I need it soon.” Coulson said with a slight smile. “Plans have changed. The ATCU has more than enough samples from Ward to last a long time. I want to neutralize him soon. Killing him while he has those powers doesn’t seem to be an option. He's getting more and more unstable. Soon, containment won't be an option.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lincoln frowned, “You’re already getting rid of Ward?’ he asked. “I thought the ATCU was to keep him for experimentation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s proven to be too much of a problem and using young children would be better.” Coulson answered. “I want to get rid of him before he causes something else to happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it won’t be ready for a long time. I already had a vaccine in development, like I said before. But, crafting something like this that targets genes? It’s hard. Even with Simmons’ help. Right now, it’s just killing cells. Not reverting them back to human. I’m trying to turn off the Inhuman gene, not kill a person.” He pointed to a nearby screen, which showed shots of various human cells from his microscope. “I’m basically trying to force gene regulation upon the Inhuman gene. But, since it doesn’t work like most human or even mammalian genes, it’s hard to do anything with given our current knowledge of the Inhuman genome.” He pointed back to the screen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These are samples from Ward. Blood, hair, bone, and some various tissue components. Since he’s pure Inhuman, they are slightly different in composition from human samples. But, not by much. I am aiming for the serum to change the cells back to normal, which means that the Inhuman gene was turned off. But, that’s not what happens.” He pointed to another picture, “What does that look like to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like the cell exploded.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lincoln nodded, “The serum as it stands causes sudden necrosis of Inhuman cells.” he stated. “Cell death. It’s basically where the cell blows up, causing overall tissue death. It’s the extreme form of apoptosis. But, apoptosis is controlled. It’s done in old cells or potential cancer cells. It’s controlled by an extensive regulatory pathway through several genes. Necrosis happens when there is injury or infection. The cell dies and it “explodes”, causing it to release its cellular contents. Too much necrosis can cause tissue death and eventually organ failure if too much of the tissue dies. It’s like when you have a heart attack and the tissue starts to die off, which is very bad for the heart itself. I’m not sure what is happening, but I guess it is somehow activating the necrotic pathway system-wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> If it’s doing this in small cellular samples, I would hate to see what it would do in the overall body if administered. Probably some form of internal hemorrhaging and organ failure as tissues begin to die. It would be a painful way to go. Yes, I would like a cure, but nothing like this. Using this as it stands now would be complete genocide.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something flashed in Coulson’s eyes that Lincoln didn’t like. He turned around, “Then keep working on it.” he ordered, starting to walk away. “If things keep up like they are now, I would have to use the current version on Ward.” He stopped and looked straight at Lincoln, “Now, that wouldn’t be a problem, would it?” he asked. “It’s just Ward. It wouldn’t be much of a loss if he died like that, right? Consider it a part of the scientific process, Campbell. You have to make a few sacrifices in order to move forward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lincoln’s face fell. Yes, to him, Grant was a sacrifice that he was willing to make. But, he wasn’t liking what Coulson was implying. To him, it sounded like Coulson didn’t care that the “cure” could possibly kill. Honestly, it made him feel just a little sick to his stomach. He watched as Coulson left the lab and his eyes went back to the microscope. Again, Grant was a sacrifice he was willing to make in order to make the vaccine </span>
  <em>
    <span>better</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but whatever it did to Grant was something he didn’t want overall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A feeling of dread started to settle in the pit of his stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was he doing the right thing?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or was he doing what </span>
  <em>
    <span>Coulson </span>
  </em>
  <span>thought was the right thing?</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the wait! I had a few family things happen and lacked the motivation. But, things start to get darker and it's revealed that there is a cure being worked on. But, Coulson's wanting to use the unfinished version on Grant. Any guesses of what's to come? (And don't worry, I'll get to A Thousand Scars Betray Me soon enough!). Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. The Voices Roar, Tormenting all My Dreams</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Grant's nightmares attack.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Elsewhere, Two Nights Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The world swirled around Grant, a mixture of black and red all around him. His stomach churned as he trudged forward, the ground trying to pull him under. He didn’t know where he was or how he had gotten here. All he knew was that he didn’t like this place and that he needed to find a way out before the ground could swallow him alive. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Screeches and screams echoed out in his ears and the flashes of shadow danced in the corners of his eyes. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he could’ve sworn that the screams sounded </span>
  <em>
    <span>familiar </span>
  </em>
  <span>to him. But, he didn’t know why. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He just wanted </span>
  <em>
    <span>out</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This is where you belong, Ward.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>something laughed from in the distance. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Do you not realize where this is?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant stopped and cocked his head, the ground’s force momentarily ceasing. “No, I don’t.” he echoed. “And who are you? Can you tell me the way out of here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The voice guffawed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“No, I can’t. That’s something that you have to figure out yourself. And I can’t tell you who I am. It would ruin the surprise.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where am I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This is hell, Ward. Or the closest thing to it until you’re actually dead.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face and he looked around for the source of the voice. The voice sounded familiar, but he still couldn’t figure out who it was. There was no one around. Nothing but the blood red abyss for miles around. Fire burned at his throat. Fear started to settle into his bones like an old friend. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t tell me who you are?” he repeated. “There’s no way I’m in hell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The voice laughed again and a shadow started to take shape in front of his eyes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Like I said, the closest thing to it. You’re stripped down to who you really are, Ward. A sniveling coward. Who are you without those flames? Nothing. You weren’t able to overcome what Garrett really thought you to be. You’ve always been weak. Unable to save those around you. Everything you touch dies, Ward. And everyone.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s stomach flipped as the shadow split into two and finally took a solid shape. The two, very identical figures sneered at him. Two figures that looked exactly like him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant shook his head, finding that he was cemented into place, “You aren’t me.” he stated firmly. “I know that you’re not me. This isn’t real.” He blinked, “I think.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The figures’ sneers grew as they slowly approached Grant. Another look at them told Grant that there was something different about them. Their eyes were strange to him. But familiar at the very same time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The color drained from his face as he figured out just what that familiarity was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their eyes looked like Skye’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head, “You’re not me.” he stated, burning bile starting to rise in his throat. Or was it the fire again?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the figures looked at the other before looking back at Grant, “You may be deluded, but you’re still smart.” he laughed. “We are you in a way, but still not you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were two of them. Completely identical to one another. His features, but Skye’s eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Grant stated, shaking his head again. “This isn’t possible. You aren’t even born yet!” His voice morphed into a growl. “What the hell is going on here?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first twin smiled again, “There’s that anger you’re famous for.” he chided. “And showing that towards your own children? Sick. Goes to show what kind of father you will be. You’re no better than your own father. No better than Garrett.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face fell, “No. I-I’m not like them.” he stammered, still unable to move. “I’m not like them. I never will be. I’ll be better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a man of rage, father.” the second twin stated with a cock of his head. “That rage controls you and you know it. That rage has morphed you into a monster. You don’t care what happens as long as you come out on top, right? Have you looked at yourself lately?” He didn’t wait for Grant to respond. “You’re sick. Deluded. You’re not fit to have children. And you never will be. You’re borderline insane. You’ve killed God knows how many people. And that’s not going to stop. Not until you’ve ripped Coulson apart. But… But, did you really think that you could be a father? It’s best that you leave her and us. Don’t you think that you’re only going to taint us? That we’re just going to turn out just like you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant kept shaking his head over and over, “No. I’ll be better.” he pleaded. “I just want Coulson dead before it’s too late. I-I’ll drop everything after that. I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you?” the first twin asked. “Will you really? Murder is in your blood. That’s all you know how to do. That’s all you’ve ever done. What’s going to happen to the first poor soul that pisses you off after Coulson’s dead? Dead. Just like everyone else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just face it, Father. This is all that you’ll ever be.” the second twin continued. “A monster. Is that what you want us to become? Because if you don’t change, we’ll end up just like you. And we’ll rot from the inside out like you are now. If you can manage to escape.” He nodded at Grant’s feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant looked down to see the ground started to shift and he tried to move as the ground started to swallow him up. He looked back to the twins, only to find that they were gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And just like that, everything went black. </span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>(Elsewhere, About the Same Time)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy laid staring up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. She wasn’t sure of what time of night it was and she really didn’t care. No one had come to see her that day, so she wasn’t sure of what was going on either. And that bothered her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She assumed that Coulson had come back to the base and Fitz and Mack were keeping their distance from her just to be safe. She hoped that was the case. Coulson already didn’t like the two because of how they had stuck up for her. If Coulson really had done something to May in retaliation for helping Grant, there was no telling of what he would do to Fitz and Mack if he knew that they wanted to help as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were just so many unknowns at this point and that absolutely terrified Daisy. One, she didn’t know if May was alive or not. Two, she didn’t know if Grant was alive or not, either. Coulson was willing to do whatever to Grant. The madman had given Grant up to the mercy of “science”. She hated to know what he was going through right now. Grant had such a powerful healing ability that whatever ATCU scientists that had him were probably having a field day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then there were the rumors of a cure Fitz had told her about the day before. He hadn’t known much, but he had overheard a lab tech talking about one possibly being developed. Fitz didn’t know who was developing it, but it was somewhere within SHIELD. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That thought terrified her as well. If the cure was successful, then there was no telling of what would happen. Would it be pushed out like any other government-mandated vaccine? Would her kind be wiped off of the face of the Earth? Would her children be stripped of what made them special as soon as they were old enough to be able to get the cure? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It made her feel sick as well. Daisy brought a hand to the gentle swell of her stomach, continuing to stare up at the ceiling. She didn’t know what was going to happen. Coulson hadn’t said anything else about wiping her memory. So, that could still come any day now. She could just wake up one day and not know who Grant was. And then another, she wouldn’t even remember her own children. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson had gone absolutely insane. Daisy didn’t know where things had gone wrong. She couldn’t even pinpoint where Coulson had begun to lose himself. Perhaps it had been the carvings. She thought that his momentary insanity had been resolved, but it seemed that it had only gotten worse at this point. Coulson’s need for control had pushed him over the edge, turning him into a tyrannical monster. One who was willing to do whatever the hell it took in order to make sure that he got his way. One who even saw unborn children as a threat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Where had things gone wrong?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy wanted things to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>normal </span>
  </em>
  <span>again. She dreamed of a world where Grant had never betrayed the team. A world where the team had never fallen apart and they were all happy. Where would they be now if none of the shit they had gone through had never happened?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Surely not in this mess. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was funny how things had worked out in the end. Coulson the villain and Grant the hero. Even if Grant was nowhere near the stereotypical definition of what a hero was supposed to be. Coulson thought that </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the hero. He was so deluded that he didn’t see the wrong in what he was doing. And that’s what scared Daisy. Coulson wouldn’t see the evil in his actions until it was too late. The man was already past the point of no return to her anyways, but he could definitely get worse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy was tired of people getting hurt because Coulson refused to step aside. First Grant. Now May. There was no telling of who was next. Hell, there was no telling of what Coulson would do next. The man was so damn unpredictable at this point. All Daisy wanted was to get out of here and to go somewhere far away with Grant. Somewhere where their kids would be safe from the likes of Coulson. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, she was afraid that she would never get that chance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she was afraid that she would never get to see Grant ever again.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so this is more or less of a filler chapter since I'm having a little trouble connecting plot points right now. I have a HUGE plot point I want to get to, but getting there is going to take a good bit of work. So hang in there with me. (And, yes, I am planning for some good Daisy action soon if you think she really isn't doing anything. Just wait for it.) Any guesses of what's to come? keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Closer Now, a Beggar's Crown</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things start to move.</p><p>TW: Suicidal Thoughts</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(The Next Day)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant stood over May’s still-unconscious body. No one had come in to check her since the other day when they had “treated” her wounds. The bandages were bloody and Grant could almost smell the infection on her. He knew that this would end badly if she wasn’t properly treated soon. Wounds like those could easily go into sepsis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He still couldn’t believe that Coulson had done such a thing to her. Hell, he thought that Coulson loved the woman. But, funny how things worked out in the end. Coulson had been more than willing to possibly kill the woman closest to him in order to cover his ass. That told Grant everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That told him that Coulson was too far gone. Yes, there once had been good in the man, but something had completely eaten it away. Grant was sure that a huge part of it had been the GH serum. It had driven Coulson insane in the very same way that it had done Garrett. Just in a more extreme way. It had turned a once-heroic man into an absolute monster. This wasn’t the man that had greeted him that day of his level 7 promotion. He was far from that at this point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A part of Grant thought that it had taken Coulson’s worst flaws and had twisted and increased them. Coulson always liked control, now it was every part of his being. Coulson was now dead set on ensuring that he had control. No matter the cost. Grant didn’t want to think of what Coulson would possibly do if pushed even further. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had to put a stop to all of this. And soon. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t like you, May.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Grant thought, still staring at May’s body. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“But, you don’t deserve this. You don’t deserve the man closest to you becoming a monster and almost killing you.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He swallowed and turned away, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Is this what they felt like when I chose Garrett over them? No… This is different. Garrett made me a monster. He controlled me. I wasn’t the true monster in the end. Coulson’s more of a monster than I ever was. Yes, I have killed people. But not for the same reason Coulson is. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I kill to protect myself. I kill to protect Daisy.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he continued, keeping his back to May, not wanting to look at her anymore. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I never killed innocents. Not like what Coulson’s doing. My kills were always targets. No one outside of SHIELD or Hydra. I know that I’m not a good man, but Coulson’s a thousand times worse. I’m afraid of what’s going to happen to Daisy while she’s in his hands. I don’t know if he’ll go ahead with that mind wiping shit or not. I used to think that Coulson was all bark and no bite.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> His eyes flickered back to May’s unconscious form, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“But, things have changed. I don’t know what to do anymore. The voices in my head won’t shut up. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. I’m nothing more than a damn lab rat to these people and it’s only a matter of time before Coulson decides to dispose of me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t get out of here. I’m powerless in here. My only way out is Kebo. And I don’t even know if he’s alive. I don’t know if any of my men are alive at this point” </span>
  </em>
  <span>His eyes drifted to the metallic walls, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I feel like slamming my head into that wall. Over and over until I’m dead. Until blood stains those damn walls. I want to hold on for Daisy. I want to hold on for our kids. But…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he clenched his fists at his sides and gritted his teeth. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I can’t keep on like this. Not this… Suffering…. I don’t… I don’t even deserve to live anymore. Maybe Coulson’s already won.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes lingered on the wall, remembering how he had done so in the Vault. How he had ran at them over and over until darkness overcame him. He looked down to his wrists, the thick, messy cords of scars laughing at him. Begging him to try. He gritted his teeth, trying to fight back the urge. There was little stopping him from running full-speed at the wall and slamming his head right into it. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No… I can’t…. Daisy will be crushed. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He gritted his teeth even harder. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. I-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts as the ground rumbled beneath him. His eyes shot to the ground as the ground rumbled again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“What the hell?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“What is going on? There’s no way that Daisy’s here. That doesn’t sound right. This can’t-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He was cut off once more as a massive explosion suddenly shook the cell, sending him right to his feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And sending him straight into complete darkness. </span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>(Elsewhere, About the Same Time)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell are you doing in here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson gave Daisy a grim smile, “What?” he asked. “I can’t come and check up on you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s face fell and she scowled at him, a hand wrapping around her abdomen. “Don’t act like you care about me, Coulson.” she spat. “Because if you did, I wouldn’t be in this hellhole. I bet you’re still planning to wipe my mind, aren’t you? Because if you are, you are mad. And why won’t you tell anyone where May is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A muscle twitched in Coulson’s face, “May isn’t your concern, Daisy. And, yes, I am. It’s better for you if you don’t remember him, Daisy.” he answered, anger shooting right through Daisy. “It’s better for all of us if he simply just disappears after everything that he did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>the father of my unborn children.” she shot back, taking a step towards the man. “You can’t just wipe my memory of him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I can. He’s a criminal, Daisy. None of this should even be happening. He should’ve been killed a long time ago.” His eyes drifted to the gentle swell of Daisy’s stomach, “And those </span>
  <em>
    <span>things </span>
  </em>
  <span>shouldn’t even exist. It’s better that I deal with this now and you forget about all of this. Act like it never even happened.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s scowl quickly twisted into a snarl, “What the hell happened to you, Coulson?!” she screamed, taking another step towards him. “You weren’t like this when I joined the team. I looked up to you. Hell, I saw you as a father almost. Now? I don’t even recognize you at all. Imprisoning innocent Inhumans. Torturing them. Wanting to kill mere children. And for what? ‘Humanity’?” She laughed. “You make me sick. I would never have thought that the day would come where I would much prefer Grant Ward over you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s gaze hardened and his jaw clenched, “I am trying to prevent more monsters like Ward.” he stated coldly. “I have already been over this with you. Inhumans are monsters by nature. They have powers that no one should have. You have seen what Ward has become because of those powers. I can’t let more of him happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant was who he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>before </span>
  </em>
  <span>he got those powers!” Daisy snapped, the inhibitors on her wrists letting out a soft whine as they fought to suppress her powers. “Those powers didn’t make him who he is now. He’s the way he is because of how his life has been. Don’t call all Inhumans monsters all because of Grant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No matter what you think, those </span>
  <em>
    <span>children </span>
  </em>
  <span>of yours are still his spawn. They’re purely Inhuman. Just like him. I can’t let them become what he is, Daisy. This isn’t up for debate. You-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson was cut off as Daisy’s fist slammed right into his nose with an audible crack. He stumbled back as his hands flew to his nose, blood beginning to pour from it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They are </span>
  <em>
    <span>my </span>
  </em>
  <span>children, too!” Daisy screamed, tears streaming from her eyes as the door busted open, Morse and Hunter running into the room. “They will not become monsters! They will not become what their father has been! You’re the monster here! You’re the one that’s done something to May!” She struggled as the two agents held her arms, pulling her away from Coulson. “You are a fucking bigot! A fucking hypocryte! I hope you rot in hell!” The ground slightly rumbled beneath them, the inhibitors starting to give out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Best you shut it, love.” Hunter muttered in her ear. “You’re just giving Coulson all the reason to hate you even more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t fucking care!” She tried to struggle out of their grip, bile rising up her throat. “Go to hell!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson snarled at her, blood staining his face, “I’ll have Simmons prep the TAHITI machine.” he stated coldly. “Seems like you already need to forget about that bastard, Daisy. Look what he’s done to you. You…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He suddenly brought a hand to his ear and his face fell, “Understood. Let me finish up here and I’ll be on my way. I’ll deal with things, Roz.” His bloody hand fell and he looked to Hunter and Morse, “You two. You’re coming with me. We have a situation. Just leave her in here. She’ll tire out sooner or later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned on his heels and stalked out of the room. Hunter and Morse let go of Daisy and followed Coulson, the cell door slamming shut behind them. Daisy stumbled backwards and doubled over, losing the contents of her stomach all over the concrete floor. She slowly rose up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Rage still boiled in her chest as she fell backwards onto the bed. She wanted to give Coulson more than a broken nose. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That bastard….” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“But… Situation? It has to be Grant. It has to.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Please… Let him be alive….”</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, this is where things really start to pick up. I want to finish the story as soon as possible so I can move onto something else. So, any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Destroying Castles in the Sky</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Coulson plans his next moves.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Sometime Later, Location Unknown)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant awoke with a start, jumping to his feet as flames flared in his clenched fists. All he remembered was the explosion. Nothing else. Where was he? He couldn’t-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoah, boss. Calm down. It’s just me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The flames quickly snuffed out and Grant spun around to see Kebo standing there, his arms crossed and a smug smile on his face. Grant’s face fell and he looked around, seeing that he was in a makeshift infirmary, other Inhumans occupying the beds. He swore that he could’ve seen May in the far corner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kebo?” he asked, looking for an answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed that Grant had jumped out of, “Sorry it took me so long.” he stated. “But, I had to rework things once I found out that the SHIELD agent had been compromised.” He jerked his thumb towards the corner. “I managed to get a handful of Inhumans out of the prison. But, my concern was you. I didn’t have much time. We’re at </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hellstorm. Gehenna </span>
  </em>
  <span>was compromised, of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant swallowed, “What about Agent May?” he asked, his voice low. He was still trying to readjust to his surroundings. “I assume you got her as well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo nodded, “I don’t know what the fuck happened to that woman, but she’s not waking up anytime soon.” he answered. “One of the Inhumans we recovered happens to be an ER doctor, so she’s been really helping out. She said that May had internal injuries. Broken bones. A possible concussion. There’s no telling when she’ll wake up.” Kebo stood to his feet and motioned for Grant to follow him. He led him over to a bed where May laid, still unconscious, with an IV. He looked to Grant, “Who did this to her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant blinked, fighting back the burning Berserker rage once again, “Director Coulson.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo blanched, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Coulson</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” he asked. “There’s no damn way that the fucker did that.” He pointed at May, “Wasn’t she his right-hand man or whatever?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s just say that Coulson doesn’t take being double-crossed very well.” Grant muttered. “I found the Inhumans they captured from us as well, but I don’t think they survived. Coulson staged a fake breakout and used them as a trap to teach May a lesson or something. I don’t know. All I know is that the man’s past the point of no return and I don’t intend on allowing him to survive anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We think that girl of yours is being kept at a base outside of DC.” Kebo stated, trying to move the subject on. “I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get into it while causing the most damage to SHIELD as possible, but I wanted to get you out first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant thought for a minute before returning his attention back to his lieutenant, “No, we need a plan.” he stated. “There are people in SHIELD that Daisy still cares about and therefore I don’t want to hurt. There’s two engineers that have her trust. Leo Fitz and Alphonso Mackenzie, I believe. Daisy also told me that there’s an Inhuman with them as well that doesn’t deserve to be there. A South American woman, I think. Colombian. Those three I want out. If Daisy trusts them, then I trust them. I want them out before we launch any kind of strike. If Coulson can do something like this,” He gestured to May, “Then… I don’t think there’s anything he won’t do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo looked at the man, giving him a frown, “Then, how should we proceed?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I don’t know. I don’t want to do anything that puts anyone else in trouble at this point.” Grant answered, still staring at May’s unconscious form. “I want Daisy out of there before Coulson has the chance to wipe her mind. Hell, I don’t even know if he’s done it or not. I’m terrified that we’ll get her back and she’ll have no fucking clue to who I am. Coulson’s already past the point of forgiveness, but there will be no saving his ass if he’s already wiped her.” He sighed and turned his back to Kebo, “I know that Daisy will probably want me to spare him in the end. She still probably thinks that there’s still some good left in Coulson. But… I can’t spare him after all the shit he’s pulled. Someone like him doesn’t deserve to live. Whatever good was in him died a long time ago. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I am by no means a good man, Kebo.” he continued. “I never have been. But, I’m nowhere as insane as Coulson is. I never will be. The key difference is that I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> that I’m not good, but Coulson refuses to admit that he isn’t a hero. I have never been a hero. A self-aware villain is better than a self-rightous, false hero, right?” He turned back to Kebo and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t care what happens to him after the shit he just pulled.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did they do to you in there, boss?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face hardened and he avoided Kebo’s gaze. The stench of blood filled his nose and flashes of his own limbs falling to the blood-splattered tile danced across his vision. “You… You don’t want to know.” he muttered, the acid in his stomach starting to churn. His stomach grumbled and he brought a hand to it, realizing that he didn’t remember the last time that he had eaten a proper meal. “How long was I gone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About ten days. You’ve been unconscious for two days. I put a little too much gusto into the breakout.” Kebo replied. “You hit your head in the explosion I set.” His eyes trailed Grant’s body, “Seems like that really didn’t set you back, though. Maybe you were just sleepy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant grimaced, “Well, find me some fucking food.” he stated. “I’m fucking hungry and those bastards didn’t like giving me food. And I don’t care what you get me as long as it’s actual food and not gray goo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo snorted and began to walk off, “Good to see you back, boss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant rolled his eyes and returned his attention back to the unconscious May. Rage still brewed in his throat and he felt like screaming. But, he didn’t need an inferno overtaking the base. His eyes flickered to the Inhumans all around him and he swore to himself that he would stop at absolutely nothing in order to get Daisy back. </span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>(Elsewhere)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you know how many prisoners escaped, Phil?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s face went hard, “No, I don’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rosalind looked at him with a disapproving gaze, “Twenty-four, not including Ward.” she answered. “We believe some were taken by Ward’s men. Others just ran out. Five died in the attack. And twelve of my men died.” Her eyes flickered to the heavy bandaging that was still wrapped around her damaged arm. “If you are wanting to deal with Ward, you need to do it soon, Phil. This is getting ridiculous. Ward is free now. There’s no telling when he’ll strike or where. My life is in danger and I don’t like that.” She frowned, “He’s already threatened me once. And now that he’s out… He’ll come for me once he has the chance. You need to have a plan before it’s too late. Ward’s a quick thinker.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to get the equipment up, but I am planning on wiping Agent Johnson’s mind soon. Two days tops.” Coulson stated, clenching a fist. “But, I have a plan for Ward. And I think it’ll all work out in the end.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” she asked. “Because your first plan went so damn well. He needs to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>killed</span>
  </em>
  <span>, not imprisoned. I don’t care about having him for experimentation anymore. Besides, we have more than enough samples from him. We can just reproduce those in our labs. I want him dead. And I imagine the government will agree.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson pursed his lips and pulled a vial out of the pocket inside his suit jacket. He placed it down on the desk in front of Rosalind, the green liquid inside of it sloshing around the glass. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She eyed the liquid. “What the hell is that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A cure some of my men have been working on. As of right now, it’s imperfect. Causes cellular death on a body-wide scale. A very painful way to go.” Coulson replied, a smirk growing on his lips. “Agent Campbell doesn’t know why, but he’s only been testing on smaller cellular samples. I say we use Ward as our very first live test subject, shouldn’t we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rosalind’s attention returned to Coulson, “And how do you plan on injecting him with that?” she asked. “If he’s fighting, there’s no way that you can get close enough to administer that. I’m not saying that this is a bad idea, Phil. It’s risky. You need to find a way to get that into him without getting close. You know what happens if he gets close.” Her eyes went back to her ruined arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that, Roz. Something like a tranq gun loaded with this will probably work.” Coulson explained, putting the vial back into his pocket. “I’m not looking to “cure” him. At all. I hope that this kills him in the end so he’ll finally be out of my hair.” He turned his back to her, “Roz, I hope to have this all dealt with soon. I draw Ward to me and that’s the end of it. All that will be left is to deal with those hellspawn children.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Phil. How do you plan on drawing Ward to you? I am staying out of this.” Rosalind explained, leaning back in her desk chair. “I value my life. You clearly don’t value your own. Killing Ward is the way we need to go, but how you’re doing so is extremely risky. Baiting him will only make matters worse if not done just right. He’ll kill you before you even have the chance to do a single thing. He’s probably pissed now. Beyond pissed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson crunched up his face, keeping his back to Rosalind, “I have a plan. One that will make him falter just long enough for me to make a move.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, and what’s that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A smile pulled at his lips, knowing just what he had to do to make Grant weak just long enough for his plan to work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I dangle Daisy Johnson’s and those hellspawns’ lives right in front of him. He wouldn’t dare move if he knew doing so meant their deaths. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I need this to end in his death, Roz. No matter the cost.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And when you think Coulson couldn't get any worse, I somehow manage to find a way to make him so. It is gonna get rough soon enough. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Set Myself on Fire to Feel the Burn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Grant makes a plan.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(The Next Day)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Found this, boss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant looked up from his position at his temporary desk as Kebo tossed a stack of papers onto the surface of the desk. “What’s that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Our intelligence guys already figured out who is on Coulson’s side and who isn’t. Apparently, he kept a list he relayed with Rosalind Price.” Kebo snorted, “He’s not too bright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant rolled his eyes and picked up the papers, “I never said he was smart, Kebo.” he stated in response. “He never has been. But, good work, even though none of this will probably come as a surprise for me. But, keeping a list is not good, though. This means he’s looking at who to root out if things go wrong. Just like how he did with May. He’ll know just who to blame if something happens.” Grant sighed, “This just means we need to get those who Daisy trusts out of there as soon as possible. The base is called the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Playground</span>
  </em>
  <span>, right? I was kept there, but I have no idea of where it was because when I was taken out of there, I had a fucking bag over my head.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo nodded, “Yeah. Like I said, right outside of DC.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant pursed his lips, “That makes for a challenging location.” he began to explain. “Even if it’s hidden, we really can’t go blasting our way into it without DC going into lockdown.” He smiled, “I don’t need to be accused of terrorism, too. You know, on top of everything else. This might be something I need to do on my own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo’s face quickly fell, “Boss, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me alone can get in and out. I’ll find Daisy and whoever else I need to get out of there and we’ll go. I can’t be scared of Coulson. He’s only human.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, for being ‘only human’, he seems to be a hell of a lot worse than any Inhuman I’ve ever met.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s smile turned taut, “Like I’ve said before, being Inhuman doesn’t make me evil.” he stated. “Coulson’s human and he’s worse than me in the end. I still think that stuff that was used to bring him back to life after the Battle of New York fucked him in the head. He hasn’t been the same since TAHITI. And if I get into that base and he’s done something to Daisy…” He shook his head, “I don’t know what I will become. Every little thing Coulson’s done to me has slowly chipped away at the little humanity I have left. At this point, I really don’t care what I have to do in order to get Daisy back. I just want her back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kebo turned his back to Grant, “Boss, be careful.” he said. “Because I don’t want the next time I see you to be Coulson throwing you into a makeshift grave. Do what you must to take him down, but don’t risk your life to end this feud. Remember, you’re better than him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant frowned as Kebo left the room and he returned his attention to the papers. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Am I really better than Coulson in the end?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he asked himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Yes, of course I am. I… I always will be, right?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He shook his head and started to read the papers, which were copies of emails between Coulson and Rosalind Price.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’ve already dealt with May… We won’t be seeing her again. Agent Simmons is still working on anti-Inhuman solutions with Agent Morse, so they’re still on my side.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>they read. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Agent Campbell is still working on a cure, but I sometimes doubt him. Especially with him being Inhuman. His loyalties may lie somewhere outside of SHIELD. But, it’s hard to tell… Agent Hunter is all for taking down Ward if given the chance. But, they are the only ones I can trust at the moment. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>As for the ones I have my eye on… Agent Fitz is too buddy-buddy with Johnson to be of any use. But, I can’t do anything to him without Johnson absolutely losing it. Agent Mackenzie also seems to be on their side as well. And I naturally distrust Elena Rodriguez due to her being Inhuman. But, she is friends with Johnson and Agent Mackenzie. So, I cannot trust her either. I have my eye on them. We must be willing to act against them if they take a further stand against me.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant wrinkled his nose and quickly lit the papers on fire, destroying them. “Just what I figured, but that tidbit about Lincoln is interesting, though. He seems to be waking up to Coulson’s bullshit. I could use that to my advantage.” he muttered. “But, I definitely need to act before it’s too late.” His eyes went to another paper, which only contained a set of coordinates. The Playground’s location. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wouldn’t take him long to get there. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hellstorm </span>
  </em>
  <span>was in the Appalachian Mountains, so it would only take him a day max to get there. A cruel smile pulled at his lips as he pondered his plans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll act tomorrow. Coulson won’t live to see another day.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>(Elsewhere, About the Same Time)</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Fitz sat with Daisy, staring at the distant wall. Mack hadn’t come with him today because of a Coulson-ordered project. Something that Fitz was sure was only assigned to keep him away from Daisy. But, Mack didn’t want to take his chances with Coulson right now and had agreed to the project. Fitz didn’t much care what Coulson thought about him at this point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… Grant did get out?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz shrugged, “I overheard Coulson on the phone this morning.” he stated. “To say that he was pissed is a complete understatement.” His eyes flickered over to Daisy, “But, the breakout did happen three days ago. That’s why Coulson ran out like you said he did. But, I wouldn’t know if I hadn’t overheard him talking on the phone. And with how angry he was, I assume that Ward did get out. But, other than that, Coulson’s been tight-lipped about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy frowned and brought a hand to the gentle swell of her stomach, “Of course he is. He wouldn’t admit to anyone that he’s losing control of the situation.” she stated. “But… If Grant’s really free, then Coulson might step up his game soon. I don’t know how much longer I’ll have my memory of Grant, Fitz. I thought that Coulson would’ve done it by now. I’ve been here for almost 2 weeks. I don’t know what he’s waiting for. It’s strange. Honestly, I think he’s afraid to do so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daisy, I don’t think he’s afraid to do it, if I’m being honest.” Fitz stated. “If he’s done something to May, then he wouldn’t be afraid to hurt you. Still, I don’t know what he’s waiting for. But, now that Ward’s out…” He shook his head, “I don’t know what Coulson will do. Perhaps he’s too busy to worry about you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or he’s afraid of Grant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz’s face fell, “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy turned to look at him, “I know that he wants Grant dead, but maybe he’s afraid of doing anything to me.” she stated. “Because if he does something to me, there’s no telling what Grant will become in the end. Grant’s already told me that he doesn’t know what will happen to him if he loses me and the kids. Grant’s already a demon in a way, I don’t want to know what he’ll be like if he thinks he’s lost me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Fitz shook his head and returned his gaze to the wall. “Coulson’s not afraid. He’s a fool. He doesn’t realize how big of a danger Ward’s wrath really is.” he explained. “Coulson’s smart and completely stupid at the very same time. All Coulson can focus on is killing Ward and he doesn’t realize how much he’s risking by doing so. Ward only cares about you, Daisy. You’re the only thing holding him back. If he thinks he’s lost you, Ward will not hesitate in tearing everything down around him in retaliation. It’ll be back if he thinks Coulson’s won. And Coulson doesn’t realize that. Coulson’s gonna get us all killed if he doesn’t stop this shit, but there’s nothing we can do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May’s already gone. I don’t know who will go next. Half of this damn team is on his side.” he continued. “Honestly, Daisy, I don’t know what to do. The best thing is to get you out of here and then you need to run with Ward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. That’s not going to work, Fitz.” Daisy stated coldly. “Coulson will only take his wrath out on someone else. This isn’t just about me and Grant. This isn’t just about the twins. This is about the Inhumans. If there really is a cure, it needs to be destroyed before it has the chance to be mass-produced. I can’t let Coulson single-handedly destroy my entire race just because he thinks he’s some kind of hero for doing so. I lost all respect for him a </span>
  <em>
    <span>long </span>
  </em>
  <span>time ago, Fitz. I don’t want any of this to continue. I can’t let him tear everything away from me just because he’s afraid. I am not running.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz turned and bit his lip, knowing that there was nothing that he could do to change Daisy’s mind. Yes, he wanted Daisy and her kids to be safe. But, if Daisy wanted to do something, there was no stopping her. And Daisy had a hell of a lot of rage driving her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it was understandable. Fitz knew that Daisy once had viewed Coulson as a father. He believed that Daisy took this betrayal far worse than she ever did Grant’s. Again, it made sense. Grant hadn’t threatened to wipe her mind and tear her children from her. Coulson was far worse than Grant ever would be. Grant had only been following orders and was now driven by rage. Coulson was driven by the need to feel like he was right. The need to feel like he was the hero no matter what. And Grant knew that he wasn’t the hero and never would be, Coulson would never admit that he was the bad guy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Fitz was terrified of what Coulson was willing to do in order to keep believing that he was still the hero. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, we get closer to the reunion, but that doesn't mean that it's going to go smoothly. Especially when Grant refuses to have anyone come with him. Any guesses of what's to come? (And I really do want to hear those guesses!) Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Your Skin Starts to Peel from the Bone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Reunion.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(The Next Day)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy had been unable to sleep the previous night. Something had gnawed at her stomach the entire night and it hadn’t been the twins. Something just felt off about today and she couldn’t put her finger on it. Breakfast and lunch had come, so she knew that it was sometime in the afternoon. But, she hadn’t seen hide nor hair of anyone else. And she didn’t like it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, there was no telling of when Coulson would come to wipe her memories of Grant. Every waking second was spent in fear of it being her very last with her memories of Grant. She just wanted to see him again. She wanted him to get her the hell out of here so they could give Coulson what had been coming to him for a long time now. She was tired of living in fear of Coulson and she hated that it had ended up being this way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Honestly, Daisy wished things could be like how they were before the Uprising. Before Grant had betrayed them. Before everything had gone to complete and utter shit. Before Coulson had become her worst enemy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, if you had asked her a year ago where she thought she would be now. She would’ve never thought any of this. Coulson gone insane, trying to wipe out her entire race. Her in love with Grant again and carrying his children. None of it. It still sounded so foreign to her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t sure of what to do. She didn’t know how to get out of the base without someone she cared about getting hurt in the process. Coulson wanted control so damn much that he was willing to do whatever the hell it took to keep said control. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, she would soon find that there were plenty of things out of Coulson’s control.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon, the door swung open and she stood to her feet as a masked SHIELD agent made his way into the room, shutting the door behind him. Bile started to rise in her throat as the agent took a few steps towards her, but he stopped and brought his hands to his helmet. Daisy’s heart dropped as the helmet came off and she could see who it was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ran over to him as he threw the helmet aside, flinging her arms around him. She buried her face into the crook of his neck. Grant let out a chuckle and pulled her off of him so he could get a good look at her. She wasn’t that much bigger from the last time he had seen her. But, that had only been two weeks. So, that would put her around about 11 weeks. Almost 3 months. She was getting close to her second trimester. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I forgot how beautiful you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How…” She tried to find her words. She definitely hadn’t expected him to show up out of nowhere like this. “How the hell are you here, Grant?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant smiled, “Snuck my way in and stole a guard’s uniform.” He pointed up at the cameras, “I have my men running a security hack, so Coulson won’t know what’s going on until it’s too late.” He drew his arm around her, “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you, Skye.” He refocused on the familiar warmth of the twins, providing himself the slightest bit of relief. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy pulled away from him, looking him over. Worry started to settle into her stomach as she realized just how bad he looked. He looked gaunt. His eyes were hollow and sunken and what free skin she could see was bruised. Just what had they done to him? It looked like he hadn’t eaten a good meal in weeks. And Daisy knew that Grant had an incredibly high metabolism, so if they didn’t feed him he would waste away in no time at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant,” she began softly. “what did Coulson do to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant swallowed and Daisy could see pain starting to shine in his eyes. He turned away from her, “You don’t want to know…” he said, his voice small. “All that matters is that I’m out and I’m here, Skye. I want to get you out before Coulson has the chance to wipe your mind. I think my little breakout set him back a little bit. I think he’s more worried about me right now than he is with you.” He took a breath. “And, I will get out whoever you trust. If they’re on your side, then Coulson will do something to them. Like with May.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s face immediately fell, “May? You know what happened to May?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face grew taut, “Coulson found her out. He found out that she had been communicating with Kebo somehow and he didn’t take that well. He had her beat within an inch of her life and threw her in a cell with me.” He didn’t mention the dead Inhumans. “She’s at my base </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hellstorm </span>
  </em>
  <span>right now being taken care of by Inhuman doctors. She’s alive, but unconscious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her face quickly twisted up in anger as her knees started to buckle underneath her, “That bastard!” she screamed. Even though she was relieved to hear that May was alive, she was sickened that Coulson would do such a thing. “I’ll kill him.” Tears welled up in her eyes and she pressed herself against Grant’s chest, “What has happened, Grant?” she muttered. “Why is he like this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know and I don’t intend on finding out. But, Skye, I can’t let you get involved anymore than you are.” Grant answered, rubbing gentle circles into her back. “I will get you out of here and somewhere safe and I will deal with him myself. I’ll ask you again, who do you trust?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy sniffled and pulled away from his embrace, “Fitz. You know that. Coulson hates him ever since he stuck up for me. Agent Mackenzie, too.” she began. “And Elena. She’s Inhuman, so she’s already at risk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant nodded, “That’s what I figured.” He didn’t dare mention the list he found that Coulson had made of those he didn’t trust. He didn’t want Daisy getting even more upset. Not now. “Where is Fitz?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shrugged, “I don’t know.” she answered. “Probably with Mack somewhere. Fitz now tends to stay out of the labs because of Simmons. Maybe the garages. Elena tends to stay to herself right now.” She wiped a tear off of her cheek. “Coulson really hasn’t been paying much attention to them lately. But, I really don’t know because I’ve been locked up in here like a dog. Powerless. Useless.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant nodded again, “Stay here, Skye.” he stated. “I’ll go find them. I won’t break them out myself, but I’ll give them the location of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hellstorm </span>
  </em>
  <span>so they can go there. But, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>come back for you, baby.” He took her head in his hands and looked right into her eyes, “I will put a stop to Coulson’s shit, Skye. No matter what it takes. I can’t keep letting him do this. I fear he’s heading to a full-on genocide of the Inhuman species. And I cannot let him take you from me. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>come back for you. It’s better that they’re gone before I get you out of here so Coulson cannot hurt them in retaliation once he knows that you’re gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He kissed her firmly on the lips, sending heat pooling down between her thighs. Grant brought a hand to the gentle curve of her stomach, “I love all three of you. I will not let Coulson take any of you away from me again. No matter what it takes.” He swallowed and turned away from her, bending down to pick up the helmet he had thrown aside. He slipped it back on, “I will be back, Skye.” he stated, giving her one last look. “I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He headed towards the door, “Kebo.” she heard him say. “I’m heading for Fitz and Mackenzie now, make sure those feeds everywhere are on loops until I get Daisy out of here. I can’t let this fuck up now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy swallowed as he left the cell and locked the cell door behind him, leaving her all alone. She was glad that he had finally shown up and that he was helping to get those she cared about out, but she feared that he had made a major mistake by coming here. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She truly feared that Grant was walking right into the lion’s den and he was completely blind to the danger that he was in. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, they've reunited and Grant's gone off to get Fitz and Mack out of dodge, but Daisy has a terrible feeling about it. Is her suspicions right or not? Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. That Black Hole You Call a Brain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The end draws near.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Grant watched as Fitz and Mack worked on a motorcycle together, staying in the shadows as he did so. Daisy had been right about them being in the garage and, luckily, no one else was in here. He took off his helmet, placing it aside onto a workbench. The clang sounded out and drew Fitz’s attention. Grant saw as Fitz’s eyes went over to the shadows in which he stood. He wasn’t sure if the engineer had seen him at first, but fear quickly settled into the young man’s eyes. A smile grew on Grant’s lips as he stepped out of the shadows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mack’s attention whipped in Grant’s direction and the man’s face quickly fell. How had Grant gotten in here? He knew that the man had escaped </span>
  <em>
    <span>Titan, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but how had he gotten here so quickly?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You both seem surprised to see me.” Grant stated. He stopped a few feet away from the engineers, deciding that it was best to keep his distance from them for now. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to hurt either of you. I’m here to do Daisy a favor by getting you out of here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mack frowned, “Why do you think we need to get out of here?” he asked. “Hell, you barely even know me and you want to help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am only offering to help because Daisy trusts you. So, by default, I trust you for now.” Grant explained, crossing his arms over the SHIELD uniform that he wore. “But, I plan on getting Daisy out of here, but you two need to go first. Because as soon as I take her, Coulson will strike back and I know that he’ll target the two of you.” He reached and unzipped a compartment on his gear, reaching in and pulling out a phone and a slip of paper. He took a few steps towards the two, handing the contents of his hand to them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz narrowed his eyes, looking at the phone before looking back at Grant. He noticed just how bad Grant looked. Just what had Coulson done to him in that prison? He didn’t want to even begin thinking about the possibilities. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mack reached out and took the phone and paper from Grant, “What is this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coordinates to my base. You need to get out of here before Coulson can strike back against the two of you. He doesn’t trust you because you stick up for Daisy. Because you protect her. You’ll just end up like May if you stay here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May?” Mack questioned, his voice going cold. “You know what happened to May?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s mouth turned into a thin line, “Yes. Coulson had her beat within inches of her life and thrown into the same cell as me after slaughtering several of my men.” he answered. “She’s alive, but unconscious. She’s back at my base being taken care of Inhuman doctors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz’s face went pale. Like he was about to throw up. He shook his head, “No, there’s no way that Coulson would do something like that to May.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant almost laughed. “Coulson’s wanting to kill an entire race of people just because he thinks they’re ‘dangerous’.” His smile returned, “Of course he would do something like that to May. You’re both in the same trouble. That Inhuman, Elena, too. You’ll have to get her out of here as well. That slip of paper contains the coordinates for my base </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hellstorm</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Pack what you can and leave. I’ll hide for now. Once you’re far enough away, contact me with that phone and I’ll work on getting Daisy out of here. I can’t let Coulson hurt anyone else. I plan on dealing with him once and for all once Daisy is safe again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mack’s frown returned, “And how do you plan on doing such a thing?” he questioned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think you want to know the answer to that question.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The engineer went to open his mouth, but Grant held up a hand to stop him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coulson’s past the point of saving. You can’t save someone who thinks that he’s doing the right thing.” he began to explain. “He’s responsible for the death of </span>
  <em>
    <span>dozens </span>
  </em>
  <span>of my men. He had me tortured. Do you know what it’s like to see your arm sawed off and to see it hit the floor over and over?” Grant’s smile grew grim. “Coulson’s directly responsible for that. He wants my children dead. He wants to wipe Daisy’s memory of me and those kids. That man doesn’t deserve the very oxygen he breaths. I’m not a forgiving man. Revenge is kind of my thing. You should know that.I intend to kill him. And you can’t change my mind. Not after what he’s done to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Surely there has to be a way around this, Ward.” Fitz protested. “Yeah, Coulson’s a bad guy, but you don’t have to stoop to his level, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant narrowed his eyes and curled his lips, “It’s better him than an entire race if he ends up getting his way. Fitz, I know that you don’t like the prospect of Coulson’s death, but it needs to happen to make sure that things go right. We just can’t….” He trailed off, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. He did a complete 180, placing his arm in front of the two engineers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought I was alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunter and Morse stared back at him from the doorway of the garage, a sneer on the both of their faces. Morse stepped forward towards him and Grant took a note of the gun holstered on her hip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not as sharp as you think you are, Ward.” Morse taunted with a cock of her head. “Now, step away from them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s smile grew into a devil-like grin, “Ah, Morse, how’s that knee of yours? You seem to be doing much better than the last time I saw you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She snarled, “Fuck off, Ward.” she growled, reaching for her gun. “Don’t act like you’re the hero here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s eyes widened, “Now, that’s the fucking pot calling the fucking kettle black.” he laughed. “Look, I know that I’m not the hero. But, you and Coulson need to stop this shtick. Enough people’s already gotten hurt because of him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what about you? I almost died because of you, Ward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An eyebrow raised. “You seem to forget what you did to Kara, Morse.” he stated coldly. “All you ever do is think about yourself. You sold her out to save yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yet you killed her. You-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Morse was cut off as she suddenly found herself on the ground, the air knocked out of her lungs. Grant was on top of her, her arms pinned to the ground. Her gun was across the garage and she wasn’t sure of how Grant had moved that quickly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t talk about her like that!” Grant screamed, his face mere inches from her. “I know I killed her! But, it was your fault that she had ever gotten into that situation!” He saw Hunter start to move, but he glared at the mercenary. “You do a single damn thing and I’ll make sure that there’s nothing left of her to save.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re fucking insane.” Morse spat from underneath him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what’s insane, Morse? Coulson. It’s the fact that he’s hunted down my men. Has had me tortured. And wants my unborn children dead.” Grant hissed, still pinning her down. “You know what’s also insane? The fact that you support him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Morse’s lips curled, “This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly </span>
  </em>
  <span>why your children need to be dealt with before it’s too late, Ward. We can’t have more monsters like you.” she growled. “Daisy’s just as bad. She thinks she’s so great because she’s Inhuman. Your kind are nothing but monsters in the end. Monsters that need to be dealt with before someone gets hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you do know who’s getting hurt here? Innocent people. Most of my men are innocents. I offered them protection. Most of the ‘prisoners’ in </span>
  <em>
    <span>Titan </span>
  </em>
  <span>were innocent. Children. Pregnant women. People whose only crime is being Inhuman. Does that deserve a death sentence? You people called me a Nazi just because Garrett allied us with Hydra, but I see the true ones here.” He smiled, “Tell me one reason I shouldn’t leave you a pile of ash.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Morse’s smile returned, “This is exactly why you’re the problem. Coulson is doing what needs to be done.” she explained. “Whatever it takes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant cocked his head, “Funny you say that. I’m doing the very same thing.” He pulled back an arm, ready to slam his fist into her face. Morse struggled against his strength. He was about 15 times stronger than she ever would be. Hunter was too afraid to move, terrified that his ex-wife would be reduced to ash. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s see what you look like after I’m done with you. Consider this payback for Kara’s face.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He went to swing, but a cry from Fitz stopped him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant, don’t!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant frowned and turned his head to look at the young engineer, who looked absolutely terrified. “Why.” A statement. Not a question. His heart skipped a few beats, realizing that Fitz looked just like Tommy in that instance. Terrified of <em>him</em>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re better than this, Grant.” Fitz said, swallowing back the bile that had rose in his throat. “I know you don’t like her. I don’t either. But, that doesn’t mean you have to do this. I don’t think Daisy would like it either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You better drop it now, Fitz.” Hunter said from his spot. “You really think that the bloke has a heart like that? He would never spare someone’s life. I'm surprised that you're not dead yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t listen to him, Grant. He’s provoking you. He wants you to prove what they think you are. Imagine if Daisy walked in on this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant gritted his teeth, returning his attention back to Morse, “She’s seen far worse from me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Morse smiled, “Then, she’s just as bad as you for staying with you and wanting to keep those hellspawn of yours.” she mocked. “Go ahead and do what you want to do. Take that hellish anger out on me. You…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant suddenly rose to his feet and glared down at her, “Fitz is right. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am </span>
  </em>
  <span>better than this.” he stated coldly. “But, I soon won’t be if you keep mocking me like this, Morse. I just want to keep Daisy and my children safe. Your self-righteous ass would never understand.” He turned his back to her and walked towards her gun. He slammed his boot down onto it, shattering it into a million pieces. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leave and act like you didn’t see a single thing if you want to keep breathing. Be glad that Fitz was here to stop me.” he stated, keeping his back to them. “I have no remorse for hypocrites like you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I have no remorse for you, either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That wasn't Morse. Or Hunter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant froze up, that familiar burn coming back into his senses. He spun around to see Coulson pushing past Hunter, an unfamiliar-looking gun in his hand. Grant forced a smile, “And isn’t it the motherfucker of the hour?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson returned the smile, the gun dangling ominously from his hand. Morse quickly got up and took a few steps back. Mack and Fitz looked at one another before giving themselves the distance they needed, knowing that shit was about to hit the fan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No need for names, Ward.” Coulson deadpanned. “I’m surprised that you made it this far. But this is the end of the line for you. I’ll deal with you first and then wipe Daisy’s memory. She’ll never know what happened to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant hissed at the director, his eyes going red. Flames flared in his hands and he put a foot forward, ready to launch himself at the madman. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would say that I’m sorry, but I’m not. This is how things need to go, Ward. I need to rid the world of monsters like you before it’s too late.” Coulson continued, keeping his distance from the Inhuman. “You would never understand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson aimed the gun at him, “You have pushed me to my limits, Ward.” he stated coldly. “And now I must put an end to things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And I must put an end to </span>
  <em>
    <span>you.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I don't have much to say here. (Note: Bobbi isn't able to fight Grant because of his immense strength.) But, this isn't looking good. At all. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. We Ain't Got a Chance in Hell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The end comes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I would never understand? Of course I would never understand </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Coulson!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson kept the gun trained on Grant, but didn’t say a word. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant laughed at him, tears shining in his eyes. He made sure that he was between the director and the two engineers. “There is no way that I would be the sole reason for you wanting to take out an entire fucking race!” he screamed. “I know that I’m a monster, but that doesn’t mean that every single Inhuman is as well!” His smile turned demented, “That serum really fucked you in the head, didn’t it, Coulson? There’s no other explainable reason why you would turn into a tyrant like this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A smile started to grow on Coulson’s lips, the gun still trained directly on Grant, “Ward, unfortunately, that isn’t the case. But, keep believing whatever lies you keep telling yourself at night. I was given a directive. Operation Assiah wasn’t fully my idea or Rosalind’s, you know. The oversight committee that is over SHIELD’s rebuilding gave me the directive to deal with the Inhuman problem. No matter what it takes. Even if there are a few things that they are, well, unaware of.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant frowned, “Like the whole keeping children in cells thing?” he asked, the flames long gone. “Or experimenting on Inhuman subjects until there’s almost nothing left of them? Or killing them just for the hell of it? I know that the government is shady as hell, but surely they wouldn’t agree to this. Imagine the public fallout if word somehow happened to get out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s gaze hardened, “What they don’t know won’t hurt them.” he stated, keeping his grip on the gun. “But, I can’t let more monsters like you happen, Ward. All the destruction you’ve caused as of late…” He shook his head, “I cannot allow this anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant eyed the gun, his lips curling into a predatory smile, “And you really think a bullet is going to stop </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” he asked incredulously. “I can regrow </span>
  <em>
    <span>entire</span>
  </em>
  <span> limbs, Coulson! A bullet isn’t going to stop me.” His eyes flickered behind Coulson to Hunter and Morse, “And those two can’t stop me either. I will get what I want and you can’t keep me from it. You cannot keep me from Daisy and you cannot keep me from my children.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tell me, how many have died under your watch?” he continued with a cock of his head. “How much blood is on your hands? You call me a monster, yet I have never shed innocent blood. Anyone that I have killed have purely been targets? But this? This is a whole other level than what I have ever done. Innocents? Children? Not my forte. But, that completely seems to be yours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s jaw clenched, “I have to be prepared to make the necessary sacrifices in order to do what needs to be done.” he stated. “You’ve wrecked enough havoc upon this world, what will your spawn be capable of? You may be purely Inhuman yourself, Ward, but your parents never had powers. What would the children of two powerful Inhumans be like? I can’t let something like this slide. That’s what SHIELD is about. Getting rid of threats.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s mouth practically fell open, “By imprisoning children?!” he screamed, causing Fitz and Mack to look at one another. They had never heard such anger. “By chopping the limbs off of prisoners over and over as they grow back?! I was in literal </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell </span>
  </em>
  <span>for almost two weeks because of you! I know that I’m not a good man and I probably more or less deserved that, but most of those people don’t. I know that I wasn’t the only one going through that.” Grant swallowed and took a step towards Coulson, “What in that black hole you call a brain thinks that’s okay? You are far worse than I ever will be. Because I can at least admit that I am not a hero and I never will be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson kept the gun aimed right at Grant’s chest, “Like I said, Ward, you would never understand.” he growled. “I’m done talking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A smile pulled at the edges of Grant’s lips and he began to flex his fingers, sparks of flame dancing between them. “You know what? So am I.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Coulson could even blink, he found himself in a headlock, Grant’s arm wrapped firmly around his neck. Embers danced around them as Grant held Coulson’s arm that had the gun away from his body. Hunter and Morse looked at one another, knowing that there wasn’t a single thing that they could do because Grant moved way too fast for their abilities. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a fancy-lookin’ gun.” Grant stated, eyeing the strange, red gun. He could see something green loaded into it. He didn’t know what the hell it could be. “This definitely isn’t an ICER. This is new and definitely not Fitz’s handiwork this time, Coulson.” He plucked the gun right out of Coulson’s hand and shoved the man to the ground. Grant turned the gun over in his hands before snapping it right in half and allowing the pieces to clatter to the concrete below. He smiled and looked down at Coulson, “That was really your grand plan? A fucking gun?” He laughed, “Pathetic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Coulson could even begin to get up, Grant slammed a foot down onto the director’s prosthetic, completely shattering it. Coulson’s eyes bulged as a shock of pain shot up his arm and he gritted his teeth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am sick and tired of you taking everything away from me!” Grant screamed, a maniacal laugh in his voice. The voice of a man teetering on the edge. “I have nothing left except for Daisy and you’re trying so damn hard to take her away from me!” He put a foot onto Coulson’s chest to keep him in place. “She is the only family I have left and I can’t let you take that away from me. You almost took my life from me! You took Kara away from me!” He started to press his foot down onto Coulson’s chest, “Stop taking everything away from me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson stared straight up into Grant’s devil-like eyes and smiled, “What makes you think that you deserve anything?” he asked mockingly. “You’re a murderer. A monster. People like you don’t deserve families. You don’t deserve a single damn thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then, by that logic, you don’t either. I’ve already told you that you’re far worse than I’ll ever be.” Grant spat. He smiled and looked to Hunter and Morse, who both seemed absolutely terrified of him. That was truly satisfying to him. To have an agent such as Bobbi Morse frozen in terror of him? It was poetic. He cocked his head at them, “What? Are you terrified of me? You should be. Especially if you want to keep that other knee of yours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bobbi snarled at him, “We know when to keep our distance, Ward. Unlike you.” she spat, glaring at him. “We wouldn’t risk our lives fighting a monster like you. We know when to step back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s smile grew, “Pathetic, really.” He laughed and returned his attention back to Coulson. “But, smart. At least they know when to back off. You don’t. You really don’t understand that you can’t win this, do you? You are a mere human. I am far more powerful than you ever will be. That’s why you’re so hateful. You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>afraid</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You’re nothing more than a sniveling coward, Phil.” He laughed once more, “You’re just a piece of shit who doesn’t know when to give up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Funny that you say that, because you don’t seem to know, either. Too busy gloating. You always are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, something pierced through the pants of the “borrowed” SHIELD uniform, digging right into his calf muscle. Grant looked down to see a syringe sticking out of his leg, a burning, heavy feeling starting to travel up towards his torso. A dark, green liquid dripped to the floor below. He snarled and went to crush Coulson’s chest with his foot, but a wave of burning pain sent him to the ground. Coulson scrambled away from him and pulled himself to his feet with a laugh, holding the nub of his broken prosthetic with his good arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too fucking busy gloating for you to even noticing what I was doing. And too bad that’s an imperfect version of the cure. You’ll be dead within the next hour and then you’ll finally be out of my fucking hair.” Coulson laughed again, “Once and for all."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s vision started to swim as his skin began to burn. He thought that he heard Fitz cry out, but he didn’t know. This shit worked </span>
  <em>
    <span>fast.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Coulson laughed again and began to walk away. Time started to blur, Grant didn’t know what was going on. He wiped at his nose, blood staining his hand as he pulled it away. His vision was going red and all he could smell was blood. He heard a scream and the ground rumbled beneath him. His skin was burning. His body was burning. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Everything was burning</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Burning. Burning. Burning.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant had forgotten how it felt to be on fire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The scream sounded again and he could’ve sworn it sounded familiar. A sweet voice. One that brought him comfort even though everything around him was going to complete and utter shit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Grant</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yeah... There you go... I really don't have much to stay about this chapter. Next chapter will be in Daisy's pov, which is bound to be interesting, right? Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. It Must've Been Inside My Head</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The end is here.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Daisy walked into the garage in utter horror at the sight in front of her. Fitz and Mack frozen in terror. Coulson with a pleased look on his face and one hand again. Grant writhing in agony on the ground, blood oozing out of just about everyone on his face. Her stomach flipped and it felt as though her knees were about to give out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ground started to tremble beneath them. Something fell off of a workbench nearby, clattering loudly to the ground below. She felt her hold on her powers starting to unravel. All she could remember is the door to the cell unlocking. She wasn’t sure of who had done it, but she had ran towards the sound of Grant’s screaming voice, knowing that something was terribly wrong. And by God, she hated it when she was right. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you do?!” she screamed, her voice catching in her throat. “What the hell did you do!” She tried to push past Hunter and Morse, who only grabbed her by the arms and held her back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t your fight, love.” Hunter whispered in her ear. “I don’t know what the hell that is, but you’re not going to save him from it. This is a part of Coulson’s grand plan. He’s getting exactly what he wants. Exactly what </span>
  <em>
    <span>we </span>
  </em>
  <span>want, Daisy. You can’t fight it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She threw herself backwards, slamming her head into Hunter’s nose. He stumbled backwards and let her go in the process, his hands flying to cover his now-bleeding nose. She swung her free hand towards Morse, only for the senior agent to catch it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, Daisy.” Morse growled. “You were better off staying in that cage of yours.” Disgust grew in her eyes as her attention briefly flickered to the gentle curve of Daisy’s stomach. “Trust me, there’s no coming back for Ward. I helped Simmons oversee the production of that. That Lincoln kid worked on it. It was supposed to be a cure, but it’s unfinished in its current form. Causes widespread cell death in its attempt to isolate and turn off the Inhuman gene.” She smiled, “Coulson wanted Ward to be the first live test subject. Only because he knew that it would end in his death.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s eyes flared and she let a burst of energy out of her captured fist. The energy hit Morse dead center in her chest and the woman went flying back into a nearby toolbox. The sickening thud told Daisy that she wasn’t waking up anytime soon. Daisy spun around and did the same to Hunter before he had a chance to react. A slight smile pulled at her lips as the mercenary crashed into a nearby wall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s eyes widened, realizing the situation that he was in. He only had one dose of that serum after Grant had destroyed the gun. He didn’t care about wiping her memory or anything in the moment. He just needed a way to keep himself safe.  His eyes flickered to Fitz and Mack, seeing that Mack had hid Fitz behind the safety of a sturd toolbox. He couldn’t pay any attention to them right now. He had to put a stop to Daisy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly </span>
  </em>
  <span>why your kind are all monsters, Daisy.” Coulson called, putting a foot on top of Grant’s broken and bleeding form. “Just let him go, this is what he deserves, isn’t it? Daisy, you seem to forget all the </span>
  <em>
    <span>shit </span>
  </em>
  <span>he’s put us through the past few years. What he did to Fitz. What he did to you. All the people he’s killed. Just because the two of you fucked doesn’t mean you get to forget all of that. Don’t think that he wouldn’t abandon you in a second if he knew that it would save his own skin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s face fell and she turned to look at him, “You should know very well that Grant doesn’t give a damn about himself.” she stated coldly. “He never has.” She tried her best to ground herself, to keep herself from looking at Grant’s body. “He would die before he would let me get hurt.” She swallowed and took a shaky step forward as the rage continued to grow. “Coulson, you’ve become the very thing that you’ve always hated. And you don’t realize that. At all. This? This isn’t being a hero. At all. I don’t know what’s happened to you, but you’re not the Phil Coulson I thought you were. Hell, I don’t even know who the fuck you are anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson frowned, keeping his foot right on Grant’s chest. Grant’s breathing was labored and noisy. It sounded like there was blood in his lungs. He would drown in his own blood within the next hour. If that. Grant didn’t move, his glassy, blood-filled eyes on the ceiling above. Coulson knew that he had to stall long enough to allow Grant to die. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I could say the same about you. You go behind all of our backs to fuck our very enemy, Daisy.” He laughed, his eyes floating down to the gentle curve of her abdomen. “And now look where you are. You’re so fuck-crazy about him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t about me, Coulson!” Daisy screamed, the ground trembling beneath them. “This is about what you’re doing! This is full-on genocide! And don’t give me that ‘I’ve gotta do what I must’ shit. You’re just a scared little coward, Coulson. That’s all that is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not a coward. I’m getting rid of a massive danger.” Coulson said through gritted teeth. “Ward. Those children. I can’t allow it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“An entire race isn’t responsible for what Grant’s done!” Her arms started to ache under the strain of her pent-up powers. “Just say that you hate Grant and go! Don’t take it out on innocents. Grant isn’t a monster because he’s Inhuman. He’s a monster because of all the shit he’s been through his entire life. The Inhumans aren’t monsters.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t up for debate, Daisy. I do what I need to do. End of discussion. Now, stand down. I’ll have someone escort you back to that comfy little cell of yours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy shook her head. “I’m not going back to that cell, Coulson. I’m not sitting around waiting for my memory to be wiped from me.” she growled. “You’re not in charge of me, Coulson. I seem to remember quitting SHIELD. I threw my badge at you, remember? You’re not my boss and what I do isn’t your concern. At all. So, step out of the way and let Grant go before I get even more pissed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson looked disgusted. “I took you into SHIELD custody, Daisy. Same thing with Ward.” he answered. “I may not be your boss, but that doesn’t mean you’re free.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s face twisted up, “I’m not your prisoner, Coulson. Not at all.” she hissed, aiming a hand at him. “And I never will be. I won’t fall victim to your shitty schemes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Kye… Don’t…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s hand fell and her eyes shot to Grant, seeing that he was staring right at her, blood still oozing from his eyes. If zombies were real, Daisy was sure Grant was the closest thing to one. He weakly lifted an arm and placed his hand onto the top of Coulson’s dress shoe. He wheezed, blood bubbling up onto the surface of his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t… Don’t have to be the same as him.. The same as me...” he rasped. “B-Better than that…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson turned his nose up at the contact between his shoe and Grant’s hand. He quickly jerked his foot free and he stumbled backwards as Grant slowly started to stand. “How the hell are you even standing. That shit is supposed to kill you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy could only stare as Grant took a lumbering step towards Coulson, the blood dripping onto the concrete below. Her eyes flickered to Fitz and Mack, neither of whom could fully understand just what the hell was going on. It looked as though Grant should be dead, yet he wasn’t. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A weak smile pulled at Grant’s lips, “Seems like you’ve under…underestimated me once again, Phil.” he croaked. He weakly looked at Daisy before returning his blood-filled gaze to Coulson, “Tell me, was this all w-worth it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All of this.” Grant pointed at the terrified Fitz. “You’ve ripped this team apart and for what? Because you think you’re a hero?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s face twisted up in rage once more, “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am </span>
  </em>
  <span>a hero!” he screamed, thrusting his half-arm at Grant. “I do what I must in order to protect others!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Murdering innocents and tearing people apart isn’t being a hero!” Grant screamed, blood bubbling in his lungs again. “You think you’re the hero of this story, but you’re not. You’re the one-off villain at best. The villain that everyone forgets about once everything is all said and done. Because in the end, you mean absolutely nothing.” He took yet another lumbering step. “There is no universe in which you’re the hero, Coulson. There never will be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And do you think you’re the hero, Ward?” Coulson asked through gritted teeth. “Because you are no better than me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant wiped blood from underneath his right eye. He looked down to the crimson liquid staining his bruised and mottled fingers, “If we’re comparing sins, then I suppose not.” His body shuddered as a wave of pain burned through his body and rage took hold once more. He took another step towards Coulson, who jumped back in fear, “But, in the end, I win.” A smile grew on his blood-stained face, blood dripping into his mouth, “That’s right, Coulson!” he screamed, his hands to his chest. “I win!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, had he really in the end?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was Icarus. He had flown far too close to the sun. And now he was on fire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant had believed himself to be invincible. A god amongst men. He thought that he could take Coulson down without a single problem. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yet, here he was, dripping blood from head to toe in agonizing pain all thanks to Coulson. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson blinked, “So, you admit that you're not the hero after all. So, really, you’re not the winner like you think you are.” His confusion quickly grew into a smug grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You aren’t either.” Grant drew in a wheezy, rattling breath and shook his head, “Stop pretending that you are. Conspiring to commit literal genocide is not the definition of a hero or a winner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not genocide, Ward.” Coulson growled, watching Daisy out of the corner of his vision. “I am simply getting rid of potential threats. That’s all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face twisted up, “That’s literally….” He trailed off, knowing that it would do no good to argue any further. Coulson legitimately thought that he was the hero because, in his heart, he truly believed what he was doing was a good thing. Sacrifice a few to save many. Even if the few in question were mostly innocent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His body shook, shock starting to set in. Or it was the blood loss. Grant didn’t know. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop this before you just make things worse, Coulson.” Grant pleaded. “Don’t make me do something I don’t want to. Rosalind was a warning. I… I can do much more than that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson raised an eyebrow, “Something you don’t want to?” he asked. “I thought that you wanted to kill me, Ward. I thought that was your endgame.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face twitched and the world around him started to spin, “Even though that’s what I want, I’m better than that. I’m better than you.” he stated quietly, causing Daisy and Fitz to give him a strange look. “Plus, that’s far too graceful for the shit you’ve done. You deserve to rot in a cell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson snarled and took a step towards Grant, “You do, too!” he screamed. “You-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant screamed and flames flared on his arms, incinerating the arms of the “borrowed” uniform that he wore. His eyes widened as his skin started to blister and burn and he let out a cry of pain, dropping to his knees as the flames snuffed out. He looked up to Coulson as his body started to violently shake. Was Daisy screaming at him? He didn’t know. Spots danced at the edges of his vision as Coulson sneered down at him. He wasn’t supposed to burn. He wasn’t supposed to- He wasn’t supposed to-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What… What did you do to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s sneer grew, “I won.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s vision blurred and he became oblivious to everything around him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He heard a shout from elsewhere as he started to wobble. Coulson backed away from him, looking in fear at something else in the room, but Grant couldn’t tell. His arms had stopped hurting. Had they already started to heal? Or had he damaged them past the point of repair? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was this his payment for Rosalind? Was this payment for everything that he had done to make him the monster he was today?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, that couldn’t be. Coulson was the monster, not him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, why was he the one burning when Coulson was perfectly unharmed? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He collapsed to the concrete as darkness overtook him, more shouting in the background. Time started to slip away from him and the world fell in turn. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You aren’t supposed to be here!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he heard at some point. Had it been minutes or hours? He didn't know. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You can’t arrest me! You have no authority to do so! I thought that you were dealt with!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Consider this a citizen's arrest."</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>How had he lost in the end? This wasn’t supposed to happen. Coulson wasn’t supposed to win. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, the devil’s fire had become his own downfall in the end. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A demon burned by his own hellfire. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And I'm sorry if this chapter is a little messy, it was a butt to write and had me stumped for over a week. But, here it is. Any guesses about what happened at the end? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. And Watch the World Burn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It has come.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Daisy blinked as May of all people walked into the room, gun pointed at Coulson and tailed by a few SHIELD agents. How was she here? Grant had claimed that the agent was close to death.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to tear her eyes off of Grant’s fallen and burning body. The skin on his arms had burned. She could tell that it was already trying to heal, but it looked like 3rd degree burns. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant was supposed to be invincible to flame. Obviously the “cure” had done this to him. Left him vulnerable to his very own flames. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“H-How are you here?” Coulson repeated with a stammer in his voice, taking a step back. “You’re not supposed to be here.” There was a wild glare in his eyes. Daisy knew that look. Coulson knew that he had failed. He knew that he had lost and there was no way out of this whole that he had dug his way into. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy noticed that May walked with a limp and her arm was in a cast. What skin she had visible was heavily bruised. And she looked </span>
  <em>
    <span>pissed. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Grant had said she had been beaten to near death. So, it was only a miracle that she was here now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woke up right before Ward left.” May stated, still staring straight at Coulson. “Had to tell that jackass of a right-hand of his off before I could get here.” Her mouth fell into a thin line, “I can’t believe that it’s come to this, Coulson. But, I’m fulfilling my duty as deputy director and formally declaring you unfit for duty. Step down. I can’t keep letting you do this shit. This has gone on for way too long at this point. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson blinked and just stared at her, “You don’t have the authority.” he stated. “And besides, you’re no longer an agent, May. I made sure of that. You lost your rank as soon as you went behind my back to consort with Ward.” The scared look in his eyes remained. Like cornered prey.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still have my badge, that’s more than enough proof. And I think Fury, wherever the hell he is, would agree with me. You’ve overstepped your leadership, Coulson. Half the stuff that you’re doing you’re not even reporting to the oversight committee. And don’t worry, that right-hand of Ward’s is having people run a series of extensive hacks to dig up proof of what you’re doing. Names and ages of every single prisoner you kept in that hellhole. The experiments. Project Assiah. All of it. I’ll have it turned over to the oversight committee once they’re done.” She frowned and looked at Hunter and Morse’s unconscious bodies, “Take them into custody.” she ordered. “Hold them in the Vaults for now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson narrowed his eyes, “You can’t do this.” he stated coldly, eyeing the gun in May’s hand as the agent started to approach him again. His eyes flickered to the terrified Daisy and then Grant’s burning and unconscious form. “I’ve worked so hard to get to this point. I am doing what is </span>
  <em>
    <span>right.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May blinked, her frown growing even more, “If you think imprisoning children and torturing innocents is right, then there’s something wrong here.” she stated. Her gaze drifted to Grant, “I know that Ward is the furthest thing from being innocent, but what you’ve done to him is insane, Coulson.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He deserves to </span>
  <em>
    <span>pay</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You know the hell he all put us through, May. That shouldn’t be left forgotten. He has to pay in some way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not like this, though. Not by torturing the woman he loves and by trying to destroy his children. And definitely not by leaving me for dead.” she stated, stopping mere inches from him. Her face softened, “I don’t know what happened to you, Phil. But, this isn’t you. I think the hero you were died with Loki. Whoever TAHITI brought back wasn’t the man who died.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s face twisted up, “You don’t-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was cut off as May slammed a fist right into his face, an audible crack sounding out as he fell to the ground. She loomed over him as a cut opened up on his cheek, right next to his already-broken nose. No thanks to Daisy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s for having me tortured and leaving me for dead.” she spat, glaring down into his hate-filled eyes. “You’re defenseless. You put all of your hope into that “cure”. Don’t try to fight.” She raised a hand to signal to the agents she had brought. “Take him into custody. Put him in a separate Vault than the others. He’ll remain in there until the oversight committee can review everything and figure out what they’ll do with him. As of right now, I am acting director.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s eyes widened as agents suddenly surrounded him and lifted him off of the floor, restraining him the best they could with the one hand he currently had. “Y-You can’t do this!” he stammered, glaring right at Daisy. “I am doing what is right! You cannot possibly let things like </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span> live!” He was obviously referring to Daisy’s unborn children. “The world is better off without hellspawn like them! I have to finish what I started!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you don’t.” May stated coldly. “You’ve already gone too far. And I’m sure that Daisy will make sure that those kids won’t end up like their father.” She looked over to Grant’s body, grimacing at the sight of the healing burns on his arms. A small smile pulled at her lips as she noticed his hand twitch, “Even if he does happen to be in the picture. But, it’s over, Phil. You lost. The fact that you cannot realize that and concede willingly is telling.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson glared at her, but kept his mouth shut as the agents started to drag him out of the room. He gave Daisy one last hate-filled glare before he was out of the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s mouth felt dry as she watched Coulson get dragged away. Was it really over just like that? Was all the hell they had been through these past several weeks gone as easy as that? She blinked as May turned her attention to her and began to walk over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish that I could’ve gotten here sooner.” May stated. She paused and looked at the remaining agents, “Get Ward and take him to the med bay. Make sure that someone other than Agent Simmons or Agent Campbell tends to him.” As the agents began to approach Grant’s fallen form, May started again towards Daisy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-What’s going to happen to him? T-To Coulson, I mean?” Daisy asked, stumbling over her words. The world around her was spinning. Everything was happening far too fast for her to comprehend. She watched as the agents carefully lifted Grant’s burned body up and slowly began to take him out of the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I present the information Ward’s men found to the SHIELD oversight committee and, hopefully, Coulson goes to jail for what he’s done.” May pursed her lips. “I know that they tasked Coulson to deal with the Inhuman ‘problem’, but not like this. He did so much behind their backs. And using government funding, too. I don’t think they’ll take too kindly to something that will blow up in their faces if it were to be released to the public. I want to deal with all of this quietly, though. You’ve been through so much, I don’t want it to be all around you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What… What about the others?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know yet. I suspect that Agent Campbell’s heart truly wasn’t in it, so throwing him in jail wouldn’t feel right. But, he’s still as much to blame for this as anyone else in the end. Especially if they were testing the ‘cure’ on the prisoners in Titan.” May replied. “Hunter and Morse, from what I’ve seen, actually helped to round up the Inhumans, so I can’t let that slide. I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jemma!” Fitz suddenly blurted out, running from the hiding place that he had been frozen in. “Y-You can’t arrest her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May blinked and turned around to face the young engineer. “I’m not sure of how involved she was in things, Fitz. I know that the ‘cure’ was a combination of Morse, Campbell, and her, though. She still has some play in everything that’s happened. I’ll have to take time to figure things out. But, the prosecution of those involved may fall to the oversight committee, Fitz. I don’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz’s shoulders sagged and he looked away as Mack came up to him. He was hoping that she would somehow come back to him in the end. Simmons had drifted so far away from him and had almost become a different person due to her hatred of Daisy and Grant’s children. But, even if a part of him wanted her back, could he really accept her after how she had treated Daisy?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Honestly, he wasn’t sure. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>May swallowed, “Coulson may be done, but that doesn’t mean that it’s over.” she stated. “It’s far from over.” Her eyes drifted to the swell of Daisy’s abdomen, “Not until those children are born. Or it may never truly be over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s gaze fell to the floor. Honestly, that was the truth. There would alway be someone to hate her and her children. Whether that be for what they were or who their father was. The world would always be against them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go get some rest, Daisy.” May continued. “Let me deal with this. You don’t have to do anything else. You’ve been through too much. I’ll have a doctor come and check the babies soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mack walked over to her, “Tremors, listen to her.” he stated softly. “Go get some rest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ward will be fine. If that stuff was going to kill him, he would’ve been dead a long time ago.” he replied, placing a hand onto her shoulder. “They’ll take care of him. Go sleep. Eat. Something. You’re not a prisoner anymore. Rest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, Daisy just felt numb. She still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that it was finally over. That they didn’t have to deal with Coulson anymore. But, she didn’t feel like resting. She couldn’t rest until she knew that Grant was safe and okay. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t rest until she knew her kids were safe from harm. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And, yet again, I got stuck with this chapter and it took me forever to get it just right. This pretty much explains why this chapter feels a little choppy. But, finally, Coulson is arrested and May is now the (rightful) director. Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. A Voice in the Violence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Will he wake?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(The Next Day)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy sat quietly in the chair next to Grant’s infirmary bed, a hand on the swell of her stomach. She watched the gentle rise and fall of Grant’s chest, glad that he was alive. Coulson’s plan to kill Grant had failed horribly. Even though Grant hadn’t woken up yet, he was far better than he had been the day before. His skin was still mottled with bruises and his arms were criss-crossed with burn scars now. His very own flames had burned his skin. Even if the burns had healed within a day, they left terrible scars behind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, to her, that really didn’t matter in the end. As long as he was alive and Coulson was far away from them, she didn’t care about how he looked now. And if things went the way she hoped they would, Coulson would never see the light of day again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>May had left that morning for the oversight committee with a hard drive full of the information that Kebo had collected against Coulson. She hadn’t heard anything from the now-director and it was now late in the afternoon. Daisy hoped that it meant good things were happening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She refused to go in the direction of the Vaults. Funny how things worked out in the end. Coulson was locked up in the very same place where they had kept Grant for six long months. But, Daisy knew that Coulson deserved it after all of the hell that he had put them through. No, Coulson deserved so much more than just the Vault. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant had spared his life in the end, knowing that death was far too good for what Coulson had done. He knew that the madman deserved a dark cell for the rest of his life. Death would be the easy way out in the end. So, Daisy hoped that execution wasn’t his fate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes trailed the scars that laced across Grant’s arms. She wondered how bad the damage was. Bile started to rise up her throat as she vividly remembered the way Grant’s skin had started to bubble up the day before. She suspected a third degree burn, meaning serious nerve damage. Would Grant be able to feel his arms again? Would they even work right anymore? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shuddered at the thought. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy was still surprised that Grant had even survived the very thing meant to kill him. The way he had lumbered towards Coulson, blood dripping from just about everywhere on his body, still terrified her. She sometimes forgot how terrifying he actually could be. Perhaps he really was a demon and not an Inhuman afterall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, that didn’t worry her because she knew that he would never show that side of him to her or the kids. That side was only reserved for his enemies. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please wake up, Grant.” she whispered. “I can’t do this without you. I can’t lose you after all the shit we’ve been through. You have to pull through so these little assholes of yours actually have a father.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s still not waking up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy almost jumped before she realized that it wasn’t Grant responding. She turned to see Fitz standing in the doorway, his eyes rimmed with red. He had been crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” she replied, turning her attention back to Grant. “I think he’s stable, but he just won’t wake up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz made his way into the room, “That ‘cure’ almost killed him, Daisy.” he answered softly. “Even if he heals fast, it’s still gonna take a while. He needs to sleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy sighed, “I guess you’re right.” She looked back at the young engineer, “What’s wrong? Looks like you’ve been crying.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz swallowed and looked away from her, “Jemma left this morning.” he stated in reply. “May called her and told her she had decided not to have her charged.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Daisy frowned. “Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged, “Something about it was already proven that she really didn’t do the work with the cure. It was all Lincoln. And that was forced onto him by Coulson.” he explained. “So, May really didn’t want to have her imprisoned </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>for her beliefs of the Inhumans, but she did strip her agent status. Jemma decided that she would go back to England and find something there. That she couldn’t stand to be here anymore.” Fitz reached behind him and pulled an envelope out of his back pocket and handed it to Daisy, “This is from her. I think it’s a letter. She didn’t say.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy gingerly took the envelope from the engineer and just stared at it. Truly, she didn’t care about what Simmons had to say. Even if it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>an apology. She would have to read it later when she was sure that Grant was okay. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about you?” Daisy asked, tearing her gaze away from the envelope. “Are you going to stay? I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to leave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The engineer shrugged, “I don’t know. I think Mack said that he and Elena were going to go on a vacation or something for a while to take a break from things while May works to reform everything. Maybe I’ll stay, I don’t know. Especially if you’re leaving.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy looked away and shook her head, “I know that Grant would never want to come back here.” she said. “And I don’t think that he would want to go back to Kebo and Hydra either. I’ll go wherever he goes, to be honest. I just hope that he’ll distance himself from everything so we can raise the twins in peace.” She brought her hand to her stomach again. “We still have a few months until they’re born. So we have a good while to sort things out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz nodded slowly, “Even though Ward and I aren’t on the greatest of terms, I still think that the both of you deserve some rest.” he replied, turning his back to the Inhuman. “Especially after the shit that Coulson pulled.” He placed a hand onto her shoulder, “I’ll support you no matter what you decide.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy didn’t respond and kept her eyes locked onto the envelope in her lap. Fitz took this as a ‘thank you’ of sorts and decided that it was best that he left her alone with Grant for now. He knew that a lot was weighing on her heart and mind. She had lost half of her family in a matter of weeks. And for what? Fear? It still didn’t make sense to Fitz as he left the infirmary room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson had nearly torn everything apart in the name of what he thought was justice. Goodwill, almost. Fitz still didn’t know what had happened to Coulson to make him fall so damn far. Perhaps the hero did die after Loki and had never returned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What had returned in its stead, Fitz didn’t know. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Daisy sat quietly, still refusing to open the envelope from Simmons. She wasn’t sure if she would ever work up the courage to open it. A part of her just wanted to burn it and never think of her again. But, if Simmons wanted some kind of closure or something, it wouldn’t hurt to at least read the contents. But, not now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a sharp breath, feeling all too familiar tears start to burn in the corners of her eyes. God, she just wanted Grant to wake up. She wasn’t sure of what they would do next, she just knew that she would do whatever it was Grant wanted to do. If he wanted to move far away from here and leave everything behind, she would do it. Whatever kept their children safe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And even if May was the one leading SHIELD, Daisy wasn’t sure if she could stand to be around SHIELD anymore. Maybe it was time to move on and leave things behind. The team was no more anyways, it wouldn’t hurt for her to leave. And, besides, her own children were far more important than SHIELD’s wellbeing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so what if they weren’t human? Did that really matter in the end? She wouldn’t let them become what Grant had been. And Daisy still didn’t know if Coulson’s hatred was due to his hate of Grant or his fear of the Inhumans. Maybe both. But, she truly never wanted to know. She never wanted to see his face again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She went to lean back in the chair, but a knock at the door caught her attention. Frowning, she sat up and turned to see none other than Lincoln standing at the door, a strange smile on his face. She noticed how his eyes were drawn to Grant’s bruised frame. Was that a look of guilt that flashed across his face? Daisy couldn’t quite tell. She remember May saying something about his ‘heart truly not being in it’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood to her feet, confusion on her face. “Lincoln?” she asked, her voice small. “What… What are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lincoln tore his eyes away from Grant’s bruised and scarred body, briefly resting on the swell of Daisy’s stomach, “I…” He took a breath and drew his lips into a fine line, “I want to apologize.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy blinked and her stomach fell, “Huh?” she asked. “You want to </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want to apologize.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, some hints of what's already become of everyone a day later. What will May come back with? And what does Lincoln have to say? We're getting VERY close to the end now. Only a couple of chapters left now. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Will I Miss the Final Warning?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lincoln apologizes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Daisy looked at Lincoln with a blank expression, unsure of what to say, the envelope from Simmons still in her lap. “You want to apologize? After all the shit you pulled?” Anger started to set into her features. “You developed the very thing that has Grant in this state! You’re one of the reasons he almost fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>died</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lincoln’s face fell and he looked away, trying to avoid her anger-filled gaze, “I warned Coulson that it wasn’t ready.” he stated. “That it </span>
  <em>
    <span>would </span>
  </em>
  <span>do something like this. Ward’s just lucky that he’s still alive. I meant it to be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>cure</span>
  </em>
  <span>, a way to turn off the Inhuman gene. But, nothing like this. I didn’t mean for it to </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I didn’t intend for it to happen. Coulson kept pushing deadlines on me and he just eventually took the unfinished product from me. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I think, in the end, most of what I did was because I was afraid of Coulson.” he continued. “I was afraid of what he would do to me if I didn’t comply with his orders.” He looked back up to her, “Yes, I wanted a cure. I wanted a way for those who don’t want powers, like me, to be able to get rid of them. I know that you don’t agree with me with the Inhuman thing. You’ve accepted it while I still hate what I am.” His mouth grew into a thin line, “But, Coulson took it way further than I ever wanted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy eyed him, not fully believing him. Lincoln had shown both her and her unborn children such hostility that it made it to where she had a hard time believing what he was trying to say. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, Daisy, I fucked up.” Lincoln continued once he realized that she wasn’t going to say anything back to him. “I took my hatred of myself out on something that didn’t deserve it. Yes, I do believe that those children are a potential threat if things go </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong</span>
  </em>
  <span>. They’re the very kinds of Inhumans your mother tried to avoid. But… But, I see that you’re not going to let that happen.” He looked away to a bare corner of the room, the soft beeps of Grant’s heart monitor filling the silence. “I took things too far because I was too afraid to tell Coulson no.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lincoln, you do realize that there’s nothing that you can say that will make things right.” Daisy kept her gaze away from him, watching the gentle rise and fall of Grant’s chest. “You still shared the same belief that my children are a threat that must be dealt with. You despised both them and Grant.” She sighed, “Just saying sorry isn’t going to cut it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. I know I can’t say anything that could even possibly make this right.” he answered, his voice small. “I just know that I fucked up. Yes, I do believe that the Inhumans can be a potential threat. Just look at what Ward’s capable of. He would be considered dangerous even in an Inhuman community. But, no one stopped him from becoming that. And, yes, if you look at who he is, it only makes sense that he became a monster like that.” His eyes drifted to her rounded belly, “Yes, it is true that those children have the very same potential, but they have something that he doesn’t have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy frowned and looked towards the young Inhuman, “And what’s that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Support. The whole point of Afterlife was to slowly introduce an Inhuman into their powers.” he explained. “You had a semblance of that. Your mother did give you some training. Ward suddenly gained very destructive and uncontrollable powers and had no training whatsoever. He was thrust into a world that already hated him and now hated him ever more all because of what he was. I suppose, that in the end, it was only natural that he had no choice but to become a monster.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No thanks to people like you.” Daisy spat. “He was being hunted down. He was afraid of losing me and the kids. Of course he had no other choice. I’m not saying that Grant is a good man, but it makes a hell of a lot of sense.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lincoln swallowed, “Yeah, I know that.” His eyes went to Grant’s unconscious form, “But, like I said, his current state is my fault. I knew that the ‘cure’ was nothing but poison in its current form. I should’ve kept it from Coulson. But, I was too afraid to tell him no. I didn’t know what he would do to me. I was more worried for myself than others. May talked to me and I told her to destroy the current formula and make sure that no one could ever find it again. I can’t let it fall into the wrong hands again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy knew that she could never forgive Lincoln for his actions, but she was starting to realize that he was actually sorry for the so-called ‘cure’ and Grant’s injuries. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Saying sorry isn’t going to fix him, Lincoln.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I know that, too. I just… I just wanted to get it off my chest, I guess. Before I leave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got Daisy’s full attention. She looked back at him, “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t stay around here. I’m technically not an agent anymore since May wants to root out anyone who had a part in Coulson’s plans, but she was more lenient towards me. She said I could leave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then where are you going?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lincoln shrugged, “I don’t know.” he answered. “Somewhere far away, I guess. Maybe back to Afterlife. I really don’t have a home since I left the hospital.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Afterlife is gone, Lincoln. The other SHIELD had it destroyed, remember?” Daisy rebutted, keeping her eyes on Grant. “My mother is dead along with a good portion of the population after she tried to fight back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Some stayed and started rebuilding.” he answered. “It’s probably the only place I have to go. But, it’s clear that May doesn’t want me here after what I did. May doesn’t want anyone who had anything to do with Operation Assiah here. Coulson’s already in a cell and I think Morse and Hunter are as well. It’s not right for me to stay. I’ll… I’ll probably leave tomorrow most likely. I can’t stay any longer. I just wish things had gone differently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I’m not erasing what I did, Daisy.” he continued. “I just wanted to apologize before I left. I don’t expect you to accept it. I just needed to get it off of my chest before I left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lincoln, you…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy trailed off as she realized that he was no longer there. She turned to see the spot where he had stood was now empty. She sighed and returned his attention back to Grant’s unconscious body. Hell, she was just surprised that he had even apologized.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, no, she wouldn’t accept it. Even if she did believe that Coulson had exploited the man’s hatred of himself and made him create the ‘cure’, his feelings towards Grant and the kids were still there. Those feelings were still his. He still hated Grant. He still hated and feared her unborn children. There was no way that she could ever forgive that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, at least he still admitted his mistakes. Lincoln knew that he had been wrong. Coulson would never do such a thing. Coulson was so damn narcissistic that he would never admit that he was wrong. No, Coulson thought that he was right. Coulson thought that he had been doing a good thing the entire time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson still believed himself to be the hero, even when almost everyone else had turned against him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She would never get an apology from Coulson like she had gotten from Lincoln.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes drifted back down to the envelope that was still in her lap. No, she couldn’t open it just yet. Or maybe she would never open it. Simmons’s betrayal of her was just as bad as Coulson’s in a way. Simmons had been her best friend and had turned on her in no time at all. Hell, she couldn’t even begin to think about what Simmons possibly had to say to her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t think she could stomach it right now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy looked back to Grant, “Things are just so fucked up, Grant.” she whispered. “I would’ve never thought that things would end up like this. Coulson the monster and you the one I’m trying to protect.” She laughed sadly. “I hated that things got like this. I wish we could go back to the start.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed, “I just want you to wake up so we can get the hell out of here. I don’t want to leave Fitz behind, but I can’t stand to be here anymore. Too many bad memories. I trust that May will fully take care of things. But, still, I just want to be with you, Grant. That’s the only way things will be better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lincoln’s apologies mean nothing in the end.” she stated. “But, at least he’s owning up to his mistakes. Coulson would never do such a thing. Hell, you admitted your mistakes before Coulson did. And he never will. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I just want things to be as close to normal as they can, Grant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even if we’re not normal ourselves.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry about the wait, but it was hard to get this just right. But, we'll be hearing from May next about the aftermath and what is actually going to happen to Coulson. Any guesses? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. But It Looks Just Like Hell to Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>May delivers good news.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(The Next Day)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant hadn’t shown any signs of waking up yet, but the doctors said he was better off than he had been the day before. They had him hooked up to numerous IVs full of nutrients so he wouldn’t starve to death. They suspected that his healing ability was just taking so much out of him at the moment, that he had to sleep constantly for his bodily processes to keep up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy took this as a sign that things would be as close to normal as they possibly could be soon. She just wanted Grant to wake up so they could get the hell out of here. SHIELD harbored too many terrible memories for her now; she couldn’t even bring herself to go towards the Vaults where Coulson was being kept for now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>May had come back that morning from her meeting with the oversight committee, but she hadn’t come to talk to Daisy yet about what had happened. Daisy just hoped that it meant justice for what they had all been through. Justice for Grant. Justice for their unborn children. Justice for all the innocent Inhumans Coulson had either slaughtered or maimed in the name of the ‘greater good’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, she knew that Coulson would always believe that he was still in the right and that there was absolutely nothing wrong with his actions. The hero that Coulson had once been had died a long time ago. What was left in his place was a narcissistic, hypocritical borderline psychopath. Daisy wanted to believe that it had been the GH formula that had changed Coulson for the worse. But, that was giving him the easy way out. Yes, that was a factor, but those tendencies had always been there. Coulson just knew how to hide them and make himself look good. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was just the combination of the GH formula and everything that had gone down with Grant and Hydra that had made that mask fall off to show the true Coulson. Coulson’s need for absolute control over everything had grown tremendously, turning him into the tyrant that wanted Daisy’s own children dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy could never forgive Coulson. Yes, she knew that it made her look like a hypocrite. She forgave Grant for what he had done while she despised Coulson. But, Grant’s actions had been different. They had been driven by rage and grief, emotions given to him by a twisted madman that had warped him into a weapon and a family that had treated him like a mere punching bag. Coulson’s actions were driven by prejudice and a need for control. Grant’s were way more understandable than Coulson’s ever would be. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant was a man of protection. Coulson was a man of control. Two very different things. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy returned her attention back to the gentle rise and fall of Grant’s chest. His breathing had gotten stronger since the day before and he gave off a much stronger vibrational aura than he had been giving off. So, she wouldn’t be surprised if he woke up by the end of the day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wanted all of this to be over. She wanted to see Grant smile again. She wanted to see him without the sickly green bruises that were mottled all over his body. She wanted to wake up next to him, their bare bodies brushing up against one another. She wanted-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daisy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy jumped, standing to her feet. She spun to see May in the doorway, a wearied look in the older agent’s eyes. “May.” she breathed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>May swallowed, her eyes going to Grant’s still-unconscious body, “He looks better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah.” Daisy nodded numbly, looking back to Grant. “The doctors say he’s doing a lot better than he was yesterday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy turned back to May, “So… What happened?” she asked. “What-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coulson’s been charged.” she cut in. “Crimes against humanity. Planned genocide of a protected race.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s face fell, “Then, that means he’s going to be killed.” she said. “T-That’s too good for him. That’s-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. Well, we don’t know yet. The oversight committee is turning him over to be tried at the Hague for what he did. It’s out of our hands now. A team will be coming to pick him up tomorrow for transport. I don’t know where he’ll be imprisoned. Maybe the Raft. I don’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Raft? That’s for powered individuals.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coulson’s intelligence is considered a weapon to the government. He knows too many government and SHIELD secrets.” May explained. “They think that the Raft is the best way to go with him. Hell, powerless Avengers were imprisoned there, so I don’t think powers matter. Morse and Hunter will be there as well, just not in the severity Coulson will be. Price as well. Coulson will be in there for the rest of his life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The committee did not like what they saw in the information that Ward’s men turned over.” she continued. “Yes, they asked him to deal with the Inhuman threat, but not in that capacity. They only asked for threats such as Ward to be dealt with. Not every single Inhuman. Not children. They didn’t want this atrocity getting out to the public. SHIELD is now under my command and I am still rooting out anyone who shared Coulson’s beliefs. I understand that Simmons and Lincoln already left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy blinked, trying to process everything. She thought back to Simmons’s unopened letter and Lincoln’s apology the day before. “Yeah, they’re gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I decided not to charge them, but I stripped them of their agent status for their involvement. Coulson was the mastermind. Morse and Hunter helped round innocent Inhumans up.” May explained. “What they did was nothing compared to that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy took a sharp breath and looked back to the father of her children, “What about him?” she asked, her voice small. “He’s still a wanted criminal. He-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got his charges dropped.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Daisy’s face fell and she fought for words. “How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t easy, but I convinced them that being held prisoner in a torture lab for almost two weeks was enough punishment. Also, the videos of the ‘experiments’ on him helped.” May answered. “He’s a free man. As long as he doesn’t try to crawl back to Hydra. Meaning? He can’t go back to his men. He has to live a normal, blood-free life, Daisy. His charges might’ve been taken off of his record, but he’s still on probation. A one strike system. One strike and he’s in the Raft for good. He’s lucky that I was able to get him this much, Daisy. He better act on it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I don’t like him, Daisy. Not at all.” May continued, eyeing Grant. “But, I think that Coulson did more than enough to him. Plus, those kids deserve to have their father in their lives.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy wasn’t sure of what to say. Honestly, she was beyond thankful. May had put Coulson away for once and for all and had given Grant a new chance at life. May had allowed their kids to actually have their father and not a deadbeat one in jail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May… I-I don’t know what to say…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no need to thank me, Daisy. It’s only right after all of the shit that Coulson pulled.” May stated, her eyes still on Grant. “You deserve to have the life you want with your children, even if that life does involve Ward. You two are free to go wherever you like. I know that you don’t want to stay here and I’m not going to make you stay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears started streaming down Daisy’s face. Damn pregnancy hormones. “T-Thank you, May.” she stammered. “You have no idea how much this means to me. I’m sure that Grant would be thankful, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May looked away, “Again, I don’t need to be thanked. It’s my job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy swallowed, wiping at her tears, “So, what happens to SHIELD now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“SHIELD still stands. But, watched way more carefully by the government now.” May began to explain. “The ATCU now no longer exists. Inhumans will be handled differently now. Anyone who shows anti-Inhuman sentiments will be fired. Fitz and Mack are staying. I’ll try to repair things the best I can. You don’t have to worry about things anymore, Daisy. You don’t have to shoulder the burden. Go, find somewhere else to live. All I ask is that you use SHIELD doctors for your check-ups. Ward’s as well. Ones that I personally appoint for you. That way, you can ensure that they won’t hurt you just for being Inhuman.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy blinked. It made sense. She couldn’t have what happened with the last doctor happening again. “Yeah, of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May sighed and came up to Daisy, putting a hand on the young Inhuman’s shoulder. Her eyes drifted down to the swell of Daisy’s abdomen. “Daisy, it’s okay to grieve. Don’t keep everything bottled up. You’re not me. You’re not Ward. You’ve been through hell and back. You almost lost your children and the man you love. It’s over. It’s okay to cry. Ward will wake up soon and this will all be behind you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy wiped more tears out of her eyes, “I… I just don’t think it’s fully hit me yet, May.” she stated. She looked over to Grant, “Not until he’s okay and safe. Not until he wakes up and I can look him in the eyes. Not until I hear his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I can’t grieve until then.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, Coulson's fate has been revealed. And Daisy definitely thinks it's justice. As long as Grant wakes. And we're VERY close to the end now. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. White Flag</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The calm draws near.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(That Night)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy half dozed in the chair that had never left Grant’s side. Fitz had changed it that morning to something more like a recliner to help her sleep considering her being pregnant. She hadn’t gotten a decent amount of sleep in forever. She had recently only been able to get maybe an hour or two at the most because she was too afraid to take her eyes off of Grant. She was afraid that he would somehow die while she slept.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, she found that her worries would be relieved today.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nghhh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moan jerked her fully awake. She wasn’t fully aware of what was going on yet, but there was slow movement in the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I must've died and gone to H-Heaven…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s eyes shot to Grant and she saw him blinking back at her, a weak smile on his face. She fought for her words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Cause you sure as hell look like an a-angel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She fought the urge to roll her eyes. Even after waking up from a coma, he found a way to be sappy towards her. She hurried over to him, immediately pressing a kiss to his lips, “Oh thank God.” she said. “You’re awake. You’re awake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He blinked, “Maybe I should almost die more often.” he joked, his voice low and hoarse. “Liking this attention.” He blinked again, “What… What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She held his hand, avoiding the scars that ended at the bottom of them. Her eyes traced the scars up to the crooks of his elbows. “What do you remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant looked up to the ceiling, scrunching up his eyes, “Coulson jabbed me with something. And then pain.” he replied. “That’s… That’s all I remember.” He looked back to her, “What happened?” he repeated. His memories of that day were fragmented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was the cure. An incomplete version of it. Basically, it was poison to you. It caused system-wide necrosis.” Daisy explained slowly. “The doctors think your enhanced metabolism and regenerative factor saved you.” She traced the scars of his arms, “It was bad.” she stated. “The only remains were these scars. Whatever makes you immune to flames glitched out for a bit and your flames burned you. But, there’s no nerve damage. You just needed to sleep things off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant looked back at the ceiling, the look in his eyes far off, “What happened to Coulson?” he asked. “Did I kill him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. You stopped yourself. Said that you were better than that.” Daisy answered. “May came in and declared him unfit for duty and made herself Director. He’s in the Vault now. Everything’s already been presented to the oversight committee and they didn’t like what they saw. He’s being charged with the planned genocide of a protect race. To be tried in the Hague. He might be in the Raft for the rest of his life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s eyes returned back to Daisy and she swore that there was a little bit more life in them, “What happens to SHIELD?” he croaked, his throat dry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May’s the official Director now.” Daisy answered, drawing light circled on the palm of his hand. “Simmons went back to England. Lincoln went God knows where. And Morse and Hunter are in the Raft. Charged with aiding Coulson’s schemes. We’re safe now, Grant. The babies are safe, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant blinked, “I’m still a wanted man, Skye. I can’t-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May took care of that. You’re a free man as long as you don’t crawl back to Hydra.” Daisy sighed, “Grant, that means you can’t go back to Kebo or any of those Inhumans. The oversight committee will consider that your first and only strike and they will put you in the Raft.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant remained quiet for a few seconds before responding. “Fine. I’ll have to let Kebo know, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>though.” he answered. “He isn’t going to like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I don’t think it means you have to completely abandon him. The government just doesn’t want you back at Hydra.” Daisy stated softly. “May wants you to live a normal life so you can actually be a father.” She stood to her feet so Grant could see the gentle swell of her stomach and she led his hand to it. “That’s what I want, too, Grant. No more trying to get revenge. Coulson’s gone. I want you to be here for our kids.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant swallowed and closed his eyes, allowing himself to reacclimate to the heat of the twins, a kind of calm settling down into his bones. He longed for them to be born. He just wanted a semblance of normal for once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May doesn’t have any other weird requests?” he asked, keeping his hand on her stomach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only that we use SHIELD doctors for my check-ups. And your check-ups as well. Ones that she appoints. She’s trying to root out anyone who shares Coulson’s ideology. That way, she can ensure that another doctor doesn’t hurt us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rage briefly flickered across Grant’s face, thinking back to that backstabbing doctor. The very reason why they were in the situation to begin with. But, that was in the past now. They could move on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson was no longer their problem. Hopefully, they would never have to see him again. Grant himself was a free man. He could be the father Daisy wanted him to be. So, just maybe, all the pain they had gone through, all the near-death experiences he faced, had been worth it in the end. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As long as his children could grow up to be happy and healthy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They would always have enemies, but that number had significantly shrank now that Coulson and Price were out of the picture. Grant could deal with any remnants of Hydra that came his way. Coulson had only ever been the true problem. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy nodded slowly and backed away from him, “I’m going to go tell your doctor that you’re awake.” she stated. “You probably still need to be checked out. I wouldn’t be surprised if they let you out of here in a day or two.” She noticed that he was already looking more full of life now than he had been right when he woke up. “Do you want anything, Grant? They probably won’t let you eat just right this second.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant took a breath, noticing how dried and cracked his throat felt. Honestly, he felt like he needed several glasses of the strongest liquor SHIELD had, but he knew that they wouldn’t let him anywhere near that. “Well, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>gonna say something like whiskey, but let’s go with water for now. Then probably the biggest, greasiest burger you can find. I feel like I haven’t eaten in months.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy rolled her eyes. That was definitely her Grant. Even after being in a coma for two days, he was already demanding alcohol. “I think you need to hold off on the alcohol for now, but I can see what food I can bring you, Grant.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn. Guess I’m gonna have to go dry for a while.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy resisted the urge to roll her eyes even harder. He might’ve been the love of her life, but that didn’t mean she didn’t find him downright annoying sometimes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need you drinking yourself to death, Grant.” Daisy stated, glaring at him. “You’re sticking to water for now. At least until things are calmer.” She frowned, noticing the puppy look in his eyes, “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is my fault, Skye.” he said, struggling to sit himself up. “I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, this is Coulson’s fault, Grant. Not yours.” Daisy said, cutting him off before he could start self-loathing again. “Look, we both consented that day. You didn’t force yourself onto me. Coulson’s the one that became a monster. Blame him for all of this, Grant. Not yourself. And he’s in jail now. Never to be seen again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant looked away from her, “It’s just that-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant, stop. This will </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>be your fault.” She frowned, “Look, everything’s over now. There’s no reason to blame yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant scrunched up his eyes against his budding headache. He was so tired and in so much pain. Just because he survived the ‘cure’ didn’t make things any better. He just wanted to be far away from here. He didn’t want to think about SHIELD or Hydra again. All he wanted was Daisy and their children. That’s all he wanted. He didn’t want to think about anything else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked back to Daisy before looking away again, not saying another word. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy frowned, knowing that Grant truly wouldn’t be better until they were far away from here. SHIELD was too much of a reminder of what did and what could’ve happened. Of everything they almost lost. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One thing was for sure, though. They need to leave as soon as possible. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Alright, so maybe there's 2 or 3 chapters left now. I have a big chapter planned for the epilogue. My only hint is that it's in the future. Any guesses? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0038"><h2>38. From The Ashes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It comes to an end.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Three Days Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant was let out of the SHIELD infirmary just two days after waking up and he and Daisy were already making plans to leave. But, they weren’t moving as far as they originally thought they would be. As part of the SHIELD restructuring plan the oversight committee had set up with May, SHIELD was to be relocated back to the Triskellion over the next few months so it would be based out of DC along with the rest of the government. Grant had a safehouse just outside of DC that he knew he could reconfigure into a normal house for his family. That way, Daisy could be close for her prenatal appointments and Grant could be under May’s watchful eye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant didn’t like the idea, but he was prepared to make sacrifices. Coulson was far away from them, so that’s all that really mattered to him. Who remained at SHIELD, he could probably mend relationships with. Starting with Fitz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant lingered outside of the labs in the Playground, watching quietly as Fitz worked on something alone. It was still jarring to see the young engineer without Simmons by his side. But, Grant knew that it was for the best. The two had drifted so far apart in the recent months. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a sharp breath, Grant rapped lightly on the doorframe before stepping into the lab. Fitz looked up with a spooked look in his eyes, suddenly standing to his feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-Ward.” he stammered. “I-I didn’t know that you were up and walking around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant swallowed, looking down and starting to play with his hands, “They gave me full medical clearance yesterday. No bed rest.” he answered, his voice soft. “My body has already overcome the effects of that so-called ‘cure’. Given some more, uh, permanent effects.” Fitz’s eyes drifted to the angry burn scars that criss-crossed Grant’s bare arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those don’t hurt?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. The skin’s a little tight and itchy. But, they think my nerves fully regenerated. Maybe some damage.” Grant explained. “I get an occasional deep pain in my arms, but that’s about it. They think I’m a miracle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that’s, uh, good.” Fitz looked around awkwardly, not really sure of what to say to the man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry about Simmons.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz’s face fell, Grant’s statement taking him completely off-guard. His face went white and he looked away, “Oh, it’s nothing.” he said, lying through his teeth. “We were drifting apart anyways. Once Jemma threatened your kids, I couldn’t handle it anymore. She says she’s sorry, that her hatred of you blinded her, but I don’t know if I believe her. Did Daisy read her letter?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant shook his head, “No, she didn’t.” He swallowed, “I don’t think she will anytime soon. She doesn’t want to think about what happened. She’s just wanting to move from here now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t blame her.” Fitz stated, his eyes back on Grant’s scars. “I heard that you’ll be in DC as well because May wants you near the Triskellion. Something about Daisy’s appointments and getting you a proper therapist.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right outside it. I have an old safehouse there that I’m gonna repurpose into an actual house.” Grant still played with his hands. “Build a nursery. Have a proper backyard. All that normal family shit, I guess. I wouldn’t actually know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could help, if you want.” Fitz stated, surprising Grant. “Mack probably wouldn’t mind, too. He’s off with Elena right now. I could ask him when he gets back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s mouth grew dry. He didn’t expect Fitz to be offering his help. He knew that the engineer was probably doing it more for Daisy than him. Especially after what happened with the Pod. “You… You don’t have to do that, Fitz. You-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s the least that I could do after everything that’s happened.” Fitz insisted, cutting Grant off. “You two will probably have your hands full with twins.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blood started to roar in Grant’s ears and he tuned what Fitz was saying out. He didn’t deserve his kindness. Someone like him didn’t deserve kindness. Hell, he still believed that he didn’t deserve Daisy’s love or their children. The only thing someone like him deserved was hell. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” Grant blurted out, clamping his mouth shut once he had realized what he had said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz blinked and frowned, “For what?” he asked, not putting two and two together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everything.” Grant answered, deciding to be truthful to the young man. “You don’t have to be helping me, Fitz. Especially after what I did. You don’t-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ward, don’t.” Fitz interrupted. “Look, it’s in the past. Water under the proverbial bridge. What happened doesn’t matter now. And the Pod was supposed to float. You had no way of knowing that it had been damaged. It was either the Pod or sure death by Garrett. You really didn’t have a choice.” The engineer turned back to his workbench, “And I think you more than made up for it with what Coulson did to you, Ward. Don’t worry about the past, you have the future to worry about. Two kids to worry about. As long as you don’t fuck things up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant swallowed and nodded shakily, “I plan on not doing so.” he said, his voice hoarse. A pain lanced through his arms. Fitz wasn’t outright forgiving him, but it seemed like he was willing to be friends again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt like a massive weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. If Fitz was willing to move on, then maybe things would be okay for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant suspected that everything that had happened with Coulson had made the young agent rethink things. Maybe Fitz realized that there were worse things in the world than what Grant was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fitz gave Grant a tight smile, “Good.” he stated. “Anyways, let me know how I can help out with the house. Yeah, I’m not that kind of engineer, but I can make it work. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>might </span>
  </em>
  <span>be able to build a crib.” He turned his back to Grant again, “I would have to draw up some plans. I don’t usually do wood, if that’s what you want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant tuned Fitz out again as the engineer started to ramble on about building a crib. Something about monkeys was thrown into there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He still couldn’t process things. He was a free man. Fitz wanted to be friends again. Daisy loved him and they were going to have children. He didn’t deserve any of this. There was no way that any of this was real. But, Grant looked down to the sleeves of scars on his arms, which reminded him that all of this was truly real. All the pain he had gone through was real. The nightmares of his limbs being ripped off were real. The fear of losing his children was real. This was no sick dream. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pain had been real.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, he guessed that it didn’t truly matter in the end. Coulson was going to be rotting in jail for the rest of his life. Grant had a loving girlfriend. Twins on the way. If this was his happy ending, then he was all for it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ward?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant blinked, pulling himself out of his thoughts. He looked back to Fitz, “Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The engineer pointed behind him, “Daisy wants you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant immediately spun around to see Daisy coming towards him. The familiar warmth of the twins seeped into his bones, grounding him to reality. “Skye.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy smiled at him, “Good to see the two of you talking.” she stated, coming up to Grant. She placed a quick kiss on his cheek, “But, we need to get busy packing, remember?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah.” Grant looped his arms around her, placing a hand on the swell of her stomach. “That.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May said she would arrange for someone to take us to the house.” Daisy began. “We don’t have much to take other than clothes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have anything, remember?” Grant’s clothes were from a box of his old stuff that had been found in storage. Everything was too big on him since he had lost so much muscle mass from being imprisoned. “My stuff got destroyed when Coulson attacked Gehenna.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we’ll go buy you some stuff after we’re at the house.” Daisy stated. She looked at Fitz, “What were you two talking about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I offered to help out with anything you need with the house.” Fitz said, deciding to not mention everything else. “Nursery. Crib. Anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s face lit up, “Oh, that’s great! Thanks!” she exclaimed. “Considering that I’m only starting the second trimester, we really won’t need those things for a few more months. But, it wouldn’t hurt to get a head start soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant started to zone out once more as Daisy and Fitz started to discuss nursery options. Monkeys. Robots. He really wasn’t sure. But, this made it seem like nothing bad had ever happened. What Coulson had done to them didn’t seem real at this point. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small smile started to pull at Grant’s lips. Maybe he could finally relax and settle down. Maybe he could leave his old self behind and start anew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe he could finally find out who he really was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not SHIELD Grant. Not Hydra Grant. Not the Grant that Garrett wanted him to be. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now he could finally find out who Grant Ward really was. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so there is just the epilogue left and this story will be finished. It may take a few days for it to be published since I'm planning on it being a big one. Any guesses? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0039"><h2>39. I See Your Heart, Who's the Broken One?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The future.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(About a Year and a Half Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A smile pulled at the edges of Grant’s lips as he stared at the sleeping one year olds in his arms. The two had a mess of their spaghetti dinner and he had just managed to clean them both up and get them ready for bed while Daisy worked to clean the kitchen up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see that you got them pooped out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant looked up to see his now-wife standing in the doorway that connected the living room to the kitchen. He almost snorted, “More like they pooped themselves out.” he retorted. “Seriously, I don’t know how two babies can make that much of a mess. Hell, I had to wipe Max down, too.” He nodded over to their 8 month old German shepherd puppy that slept on a bed in the corner of the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant, we gave them spaghetti and let them feed themselves. You should’ve figured that they would start flinging noodles around sooner or later.” Daisy took a deep breath and plopped down in the chair next to the couch that Grant was on. “God, I’m tired. I say we put those two to bed and take a bath.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant raised an eyebrow, “Together?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We both fit, Grant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blush rose to Grant’s freckled cheeks, “You just want it because I keep the water warm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what I like.” Daisy’s eyes flickered to her twin sons. Adian Leo and Avery Thomas. Of course, the two were the splitting images of each other and their father. She swallowed as a lingering thought came across the front of her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been thinking. I want to see Coulson.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face went ghost pale and his throat grew dry. “W-Wh… Why?” he asked, a tremble in his voice. “You swore to never see him again, Skye.” His grip on the twins tightened. “Why now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy shrugged and leaned back in the chair, “I don’t know. I’ve just been thinking about it lately.” she answered. “As much as I hate to say it, I guess closure.” Grant shuddered at the word he had grown to hate a long time ago. “He tried to ruin us, Grant. I guess I want to show him that he failed.” She gestured around them, “We’re happy. We have a normal life. We’re both actual, legal citizens. We’re married. We have everything that we tried to destroy. I’m not willing to forgive him. I never will. But, I need to close that door, Grant. I’m not like you. I can’t keep things bottled up forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant swallowed and nodded slowly. It made sense. Grant could go his whole life without seeing Coulson again. But, Daisy dealt with things a different way. She needed to close doors before moving on. As much as Grant hated the idea, he wasn’t about to tell his wife that she couldn’t see the man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like it.” he answered. “But, if that’s what you want to do, I’m not going to stop you. I’m sure that May’s still up.” He slowly stood to his feet, careful to not wake the babies in his arms. “I can call her for you. She’ll probably say the very same thing. But, if it helps you move past things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy stood up and accepted her sons from Grant. She noticed the haunted look in his eyes. Talking about Coulson brought up bad memories for him. Even a year and a half later, he was still in heavy therapy. Severe PTSD. Major depression. Borderline personality disorder. She could go on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A week didn’t go by in which Grant didn’t have a nightmare that tore him from his sleep screaming. Fitz and Mack had installed power inhibitors in every room of the house to ensure that Grant’s powers didn’t overtake him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adian let out a whimper as the two were put into their mother’s arms. Daisy had to readjust them due to their size. They were large for one year olds. Clearly, they got that from their father. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about the twins?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Daisy looked back to Grant just as he was pulling out his phone. “What about them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll have to get someone to watch them if we go to the Raft.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy shook her head, “No, I want them with us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s face fell, “Why? I think that’s the last place they need to be, Skye.” he stated. He blinked as he realized why. “You want to rub them in Coulson’s face, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I want him to see what he so desperately wanted to kill.” Daisy smiled down at the twins’ peaceful faces. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Okay. As long as Coulson’s behind several barriers.” Grant unlocked his phone and went to contacts. “I don’t want him anywhere near them.” His thumb hovered over May’s name. “But, I get what you’re wanting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pressed call and held his phone to his ear, “I just hope that you know what you’re doing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He barely heard her say “I don’t.”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant took a sharp breath as the call connected, heading into the other room.. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ward?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>May asked. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“What’s wrong? You calling this late is rare.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Late? It’s only 7:30, May.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Still. Late.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Skye has a request.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Let me hear it. I hope it’s nothing too wild.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“She wants to go see Coulson.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could hear May’s breath hitch. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“What? Why now?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she asked. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s been almost two years.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“A year and a half. And she says it’s for closure. She wants to prove to him that he didn’t destroy us like he wanted to. Something about closing that door and moving on.” he explained. “She wants to take the twins as well. She’s pretty adamant about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“If she’s adamant about it, then there’s no trying to change her mind. I don’t like the idea, but I’ll allow it if it’ll help her move on. Ward, one question, though.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Will you yourself be able to handle it? Your PTSD is still bad and I don’t need you flipping out and burning down the entire Raft.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant grimaced, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Pretty sure that’s more my BPD than PTSD….” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought. “No, I’ll be fine.” he lied. “As long as that asshole decides to keep his mouth shut.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You know there’s no guarantee that he’ll do that. He likes to hear himself talk.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>May replied. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I’ll make sure that the warden has the inhibitors active in that area just in case. I know that this makes me sound like I don’t trust you, Ward, but we have to take precautions. You haven’t seen Coulson in a long time now. Daisy, too. You two may think you’ll be fine, but you don’t know that for sure.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that, May. I do.” Grant stated. “But, this would really mean a lot to her if we can do this. I don’t like it, but I’m not going to stop her.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Fine. I’ll see what I can do. I’ll try to call back tomorrow.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant ended the call and looked back to Daisy, seeing her sitting back down in the chair. Both twins were now awake and Daisy was making faces at them. Max was still asleep in the corner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled and walked back into the room, catching the attention of the twins. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dada!” Adian screeched, thrusting out his chubby hands towards him. “Up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant chuckled and walked over, hefting Adian into the air. Avery squealed as well, but the little boy was more content in his mother’s arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked back to Daisy, who was raising an eyebrow at him, “She said she would look into it.” he answered, giving Adian a kiss on the cheek. The baby laughed as Grant’s beard tickled him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. I just… Grant, you have to understand.” Daisy kept her eyes on Avery. “I need to put things behind us. I’m not forgiving Coulson. I know he would never be sorry. I just need to show him that he failed before I truly move on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant sighed, “Yeah, I get it.” he said, his voice low. “It’s just… It’s just seeing his face again after everything he did to me. I know how you feel, Skye. I really do. But… It’s just worse for me. You didn’t see him standing behind a glass wall as your limbs were being chopped off over and over.” He gritted his teeth, trying to block out the memories. “I would never want you to go through those two weeks of hell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head, “Nevermind. I’ll be fine.” he stated. “We’ll go and I’ll be fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant, if this is gonna make you spiral again, I can get May to go with me. You can stay here. Maybe Fitz can come over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said I’ll be </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Grant hissed, anger quickly lacing his voice. Daisy hated how quick to anger he was. Grant tried not to lose his temper with her, but there were just times that he couldn’t help it. Sometimes he had to rage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The problem with Grant’s rage was that it was a vast combination of things. The Berserker rage. His PTSD. His BPD. His flames. There were sometimes when he absolutely terrified her. But, he never meant it. She knew that he was truly never angry with her; she just happened to be the nearest person. They were just lucky that he hadn’t burned down the house yet. The inhibitors always did their job.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, he was always so apologetic after he had steadied and regained himself. Whether it was pure, destructive rage or terrified, self-loathing tears, he always came back. Despite his flaws, Grant was the best husband she could ever ask for. He loved their sons with every fiber of his being. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s positives more than made up for his negatives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy sighed, “Fine. Just… If we go, please tell me if you don’t feel good, Grant.” she stated, looking up at him and shifting Avery, who was asleep again, in her lap. “I know this is for me, but if you feel like something’s going to happen, let me know and we can leave. Just… Just don’t bottle it in and not tell me. I don’t need you going down yet another dark hole.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant clenched his teeth even harder, his gaze growing distant. Yes, he wanted to do this for Daisy. He knew that this meant a lot for her. Coulson had been her practical father for 3 years. She took Coulson’s betrayal far worse than he had done with his. But, Coulson was also the devil to him as well. He had been tortured by that man. He had almost died because of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dada!” Adian suddenly slapped his face with his little hands, pulling Grant out of his thoughts. Grant blinked just as Daisy laughed and he looked to see Adian’s bright, brown eyes staring at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dada!” Adian squealed again. “Dada!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A smile pulled at Grant’s frown and he poked at the little boy’s belly, eliciting another squeal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe he could face his demons for Daisy’s sake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even if it was just for one day. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so I decided to split the epilogue into two chapters. One, because this one got a little long and I also wanted to have the fic at exactly 40 chapters. So, Daisy decides that she wants to see Coulson after one and a half years in order to put things behind her. How will this go? Keep the comments and kudos coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0040"><h2>40. You're Gonna Get What You Deserve</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The end.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>(Two Days Later)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson looked up as the door of his cell swung open. Two guards walked in, guns held close to their chests. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stand to your feet.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson narrowed his eyes and stood to his feet as one of the guards stepped forward. The guard slung the gun over his shoulder and pulled a pair of cuffs from his side. “You have visitors. Be glad that we’re even allowing this. But, this isn’t for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Visitors? More than one? Coulson remained silent as the guard cuffed him and shoved him towards the door. Coulson didn’t get visitors. May showed up occasionally to pry information about his loyal agents out of him. But, that was business. Not visitation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guards led him down a long, steel-lined hallway towards a small room that was guarded by two more heavily armed guards. Coulson didn’t didn’t understand why the government had put him in the Raft of all places. He wasn’t powered. This level of security was a little much in his own opinion. Yes, he had dangerous knowledge, but the Raft was for people like Grant. People who had the capability of bringing down everything around them with just a single thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson couldn’t do that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least, not in that way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guards shoved him into the room, which reminded him of a redesign of the Vaults. There was nothing in the room but a darkened wall on the opposite side. No chair to sit in. He had to stand. The doors swung shut and locked behind him and Coulson looked to see the wall disappearing, revealing two figures.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s breath hitched in his throat and anger started to burn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant and Daisy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes flickered between the disgusted looks on their faces and the two children in Grant’s arms. Both splitting images of one another. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He noticed that they looked to be around a year old or so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A smile pulled at Coulson’s lips as he stepped forward, “I didn’t think that </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>much time had passed.” he quipped. “Well, I don’t even know what day it is anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant’s lips curled over his lips, “We’re not here for jokes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Coulson</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” he snarled. “So, go ahead and shut it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s cuffed arms dangled awkwardly in front of him. “So, what are you here for, then?” he asked. “It’s been a long time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy stepped forward, putting herself between Grant and the wall that separated them from Coulson. “I just want to talk. Coulson. But, no pleasantries.” she stated. “I want to move on and close this door. I thought that I could go without never seeing you again, but I just needed one more time. Mainly to spit in your face, I guess.” She stepped aside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson raised an eyebrow, “To spit in my face?” he echoed. “Thought you believed that you were the better person, Daisy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s frown grew, “I do still think so.” she answered. “But, I wanted to show you that you didn’t destroy us like you hoped to do. I wanted to show the very beings that you tried to kill. They’re just over a year old now. It’s been a year and a half since the shit you tried to pull, Coulson. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The one on Grant’s right is Adian Leo. The other is Avery Thomas.” she continued, looking Coulson dead in the eyes. “They’re both happy and healthy and </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>the demons you think they are, Coulson. We’re a happy family. The very thing you didn’t want us to be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson’s eyes narrowed, but he remained quiet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We live right outside of DC. SHIELD is back at the Triskellion.” Daisy continued, not waiting for Coulson to reply. “I mainly do IT stuff now; I don’t care for field work anymore. I train Inhumans from time to time. Grant does some special ops occasionally because he’s rarely allowed on the field. He isn’t allowed near Hydra again or he’ll be in this place as well. He’s mainly a stay at home dad now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you think I care?” Coulson asked, his voice echoing. “I don’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy’s eyes flared as she noticed Grant’s eyes start to glaze over and he brought the twins closer to his chest. Their eyes lingered on Coulson.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You still think you’re in the right, don’t you?” Daisy hissed. “You were the one tried in the fucking Hague. You’re the one set to rot in here for the rest of your life. Grant’s the exonerated one. May got him off the hook as long as he doesn’t do anything stupid. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You’re still so blind that you think you’ve done absolutely nothing wrong.” she continued. She took a step back, “You really are that sick aren’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had gotten the psych report from May. High-end narcissistic personality disorder. Paranoid personality disorder. Coulson’s brain was hardwired to believe that he was always right and that everyone else was out to get him. But, that didn’t excuse his actions. No more than Grant’s issues excused his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson was an </span>
  <em>
    <span>actual </span>
  </em>
  <span>psychopath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was trying to prevent more monsters like </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Daisy.” Coulson stressed, his eyes going to Grant. He swallowed as Grant’s rage-filled eyes shot right to him. “I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant was suddenly between Daisy and the wall. The twins were no longer in his arms and were standing near their mother. Daisy quickly went over and scooped them up, holding them close as they looked longingly at their father. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adian reached out, “Dada!” he called. “Dada!” Daisy held him closer to keep him quiet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>a monster.” Grant hissed, his face mere inches from the barrier. Fire burned bright in his eyes.“I went through fucking hell because of you!” He pulled up the sleeves of his shirt to reveal the burn scars that raced their way up his forearms. His face darkened, “You have no idea what it’s like to have your limbs chopped off over and over all the while your damn mug watches from a clear barrier. How many times did my arms grow back? My fingers? Toes? How about that time you had my dick cut off?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson kept his face tight, “Be glad that I didn’t have your heart ripped right out of that chest of yours.” he deadpanned. “‘Cause I’m pretty sure that you can’t regrow a heart.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t get it, do you?” Grant growled. “That oversight committee was horrified at what you did to me. My torture is one reason to why you’re in here. I can’t go a single week without having a nightmare that tears me from my sleep and sends me into a blind rage. I can still hear the sound of my arms hitting the ground. And you think that’s just? I’m by no means a good man, Coulson. I know what I am. But, does that really warrant what you did to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I was a little too soft, don’t you think?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant snarled and swung a fist into the barrier. The barrier strained against his raw strength, but did not give. It was clear that it was meant for people way stronger than him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grant leaned into the barrier, ignoring as static crackled between it and his skin, “If my kids weren’t here, I would find a way into that cell.” he whispered. “I’ll show you what it’s like to burn. But slowly. I’ll make sure that you suffered. You don’t deserve a quick death. No, I’ll leave you with 3rd degree burns that’ll make you suffer the rest of your life. You-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grant. That’s enough.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stood up and saw Daisy shaking her head at him. “Don’t lose yourself here, Grant.” she stated softly. She pointed to a nearby chair the best she could with two babies in her arms, “Go sit down.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson watched as Grant nodded slowly, a strange light in the Inhuman’s eyes. Daisy led him over to the chair and he sat down. She placed the twins in his arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dada!” the one named Avery screeched, flapping his chubby little hands. “Dada!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coulson frowned as the smallest of smiles pulled at Grant’s lips and the man focused his attention onto the two boys. He talked to them in a hushed voice. Coulson turned his nose up at the sight. It made his stomach turn. Someone like Grant, to him, didn’t deserve to be happy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy returned her attention back to Coulson, “You have no idea of how screwed up Grant is because of you, do you? But, you don’t care.” she stated, taking a few steps towards the wall. “Yes, a lot of his trauma is from Garrett and his past, but much of what he suffers from lately is because of you. “He has terrible nightmares, like he said. His arms still hurt him. He sees a therapist weekly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>PSTD. BPD. Major depression.” she continued. “That’s only the beginning. He tries so damn hard to be the best father possible, but I know that he constantly feels like a failure. We’re married now, but it’s not all sunshines and rainbows. We have issues from time to time. Grant’s mental issues sometimes cause rifts between us. But, we always pull through, even if it seems like we can’t. We still love one another. We’re happy despite our issues and that’s all that matters, Coulson.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She swallowed and pointed to Grant and their sons, “Coulson, that’s what you tried to destroy right there.” she said, her voice tight. “Grant isn’t perfect, but he’s not the monster you claimed him to be.” Adian let out a strange growling sound and Grant chuckled in response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coulson, how can you look at that and not feel any kind of remorse?” Daisy asked, sadness lacing her voice. “I used to think of you as a father. But, you ruined that. I found more solace in Grant than I ever did with you. You tried to kill my children. You tried to take Grant away from me. And you know what? You failed. Grant and I are happy. We’re a family and there’s nothing you can do to change that. And now you have to live with the fact that you failed. You’re going to be in here the rest of your life. You have plenty of time to think about what you’ve done, Coulson. Not like it matters to you or anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re gonna learn to regret giving him a chance, Daisy.” Coulson deadpanned. “People like him only worry about themselves.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s where you’re wrong, Coulson. Grant cares about everyone but himself. You’re the egotistical maniac who only cares about the things immediately around you.” Daisy shot back. “You’re a remorseless monster that is responsible for the deaths of many. You planned a genocide and you act like you’re still in the right. I will </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>forgive you, Coulson. Neither will Grant. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What you tried to do failed. Morse and Hunter are in jail. Simmons and Lincoln left SHIELD.” she continued. “I could go my entire life without seeing you again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A strange smile formed on Coulson’s face, “So, what was the point of this, then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy frowned, “I already told you, asshole.” she growled. “I wanted to rub things in your face. To show you that you failed. You tried to take everything away from us and you failed. I’m closing this door. I want to move on.” She gritted her teeth. Grant had fallen silent, quietly watching her and trying his best to keep the twins quiet as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Again, I am not forgiving you. Because I know that it meant absolutely nothing to you. You still don’t see the wrong in what you did. I just hope that you realize that you absolutely and utterly failed. So, fuck you, Coulson. There’s nothing you can do to change things. You deserve every last moment in this shithole.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A vein throbbed in Coulson’s head as Daisy turned around. He watched as she went back to Grant and took one of the kids from him. He didn’t remember who was who and nor did he care. This shouldn’t be happening. They didn’t deserve this happy ending. Grant should be dead. Those kids should be dead. Daisy should have no memories of what happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yes, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>completely and utterly fail. And he would have to live with that shame for the rest of his life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, he didn’t feel shame for what he did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daisy kept her back to Coulson, “I’m just sorry that you’re such a shameful and pathetic man, Coulson.” she said, keeping the twin close to her. Grant stared at him with a demonic light and he knew that there wasn’t much keeping the man from going apeshit crazy on him. The door behind Coulson opened and he could hear the guards come back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was about to be dragged back into hell while the two people he hated the most got to be carefree. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just can’t stand that we’re happy, Coulson.” Daisy continued, the guards grabbing hold of Coulson once more. “You tried so damn hard to destroy everything and look where you are now. Yes, we have a long way to go before we’re truly in the clear, but that doesn’t matter. We have the family we tried so hard to protect. We won in the end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And we finally got the happy ending we deserved.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And that's that! Several months and 40 chapters later, we have finally reached the end. I really do hope that you enjoyed this adventure (and I may or may not be working on another Demon! AU along with A Thousand Scars Betray Me). And please leave kudos or a comment!</p><p>Update: I am planning a sequel to this fic that focuses on the twins in their teens. But, I'm not revealing the story at all.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just another idea! Find me on Tumblr @grantwrd!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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